


A World Beside our Own

by Dranemra



Category: The Sims (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, F/M, High School, Multi, Romance, Teen Romance, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dranemra/pseuds/Dranemra
Summary: Simon is a run-away trans-identified youth, trying to find a means to flee from religiously accepting parents. On a rainy night, he encounters the strangest girl he could ever meet. She pulls Simon into a world he never knew existed, where magical creatures have lived alongside humanity for generations. Where there's another option to transition when embracing the Elven blood in your veins.
Collections: Alternate Universe - High School, Transgender





	1. Running

I'm running away... well cycling to be exact. Is it still called running away if you are using a different form of transportation? It's been a question that has drifted through my mind since I left home this morning.

I left the city behind me hours ago. I stayed off the highways and major roads, and I'm travelling the old road along the river. The busy city streets soon turned to suburbs, then into rolling farmland, and - as I climb into the foothills - I now find myself surrounded by trees. This is logging territory.

It's going to be dark soon, I debate cycling through the night to see if I can get to Newcrest before resting. I've only stopped occasionally for snacks and lunch, but otherwise I've been cycling all day. The clouds that I'm riding towards might make me seek shelter sooner than I would like. I can see the light pollution from Newcrest bouncing off the cloud cover in the distance. With the way the road twists and turns along the river, I'm not sure I can make it there before I hit rain.

Suddenly the sky darkens fast, and I hear a rumble from the clouds. Nature has decided for me I will not get much further as the skies suddenly open up and the road gets dangerously slippery. I can feel bike hydroplaning in the heavy rain, and I'm already soaked. I spot a cliff side to my right and pull off the road. I walk my bike as best as I can through the dense underbrush till I reach the clearing by the cliff. Fortune smiles on me as I find a hollow in the cliff face. With the direction the wind is blowing, the hollow is dry and shows promise of shelter. I lay my bike against a bare rock and cuddle myself into the natural alcove in the rock. Unless the wind changes, this will provide me shelter for the night. Now all I need is firewood. I can't stay in these wet clothes, I need to dry off or I'll catch a cold or worse. The night at this time of year gets chilly, I'm at risk of hypothermia if I can't warm up soon.

I munch on some granola bars from my backpack, drinking the juice I brought, so as to save the last of my water. I survey the darkening woods around me. If I can find a break in the rain, I should be able to gather enough of the fallen trees nearby to give me a small fire for the night.After an hour the worse of the thunderstorm rolls by, and I take my cycle headlight to find my way in the woods. It takes almost another hour to find enough broken limbs and kindling that I can safely carry. I drag my bundle back to the alcove and set up a little fire pit between the debris of the large fallen rock that formed my cubby.

I break the small twigs to make kindling, thankful for my survival kit matches to start my fire. One advantage of being a Llama Scout, I think to myself. As my small fire starts up, I break the larger branches into smaller pieces, smashing the thicker branches on the rocks - as I don't have an axe.

A twig snapping to my left between branch breaking suddenly makes me stop. My eyes search through the dark wood. A shadow moves in the darkness beyond the light of my small campfire. I carefully put down what I have in my hands and slowly reach for a larger branch and my headlamp.

As I move to the motion, I see the neon reflection of fabric. I relax when I realize what is stalking in the woods is most likely human. As the shape moves closer, they are all dressed in black, except for a neon glow from the inner lining of their hoodie, hair highlights and shoelaces.

"Do you intend on poking me with that stick?" A soft female voice says to me.

As she steps into the firelight, her skin is charcoal, almost black, her eyes are nothing but black orbs - like her entire eyeball is just one large pupil with no white or iris.

"What are you doing here in the middle of nowhere?" She asks with a smile. While her voice of soft and gentle, the fangs in her smile have me worried.

"Umm.. I was seeking shelter from the rain." I say nervously, unwilling to give up my weapon now that I think I face something that's more than human.

She looks up at the break in the clouds. "The storm has brought colder weather with it, I'm not sure your small fire and collection of twigs will suffice, your clothing is still damp. It's not healthy for you to stay out here."

Her tone is soft, comforting, and her face calm and concerned. I find myself lowering my defences at her non-aggressive nature.

Her almond-shaped eyes soften, I can see motion in the orbs. "I am known as Luna, do you have a name?"

"Oh. Uh.. Simon." I stutter. _I should be scared and running. Why is she being nice to me?_

"Simon, that is a charming name." She smiles again, showing those fangs of hers.

_Really should be running now, Simon, before she eats you...._

"You shouldn't stay out here tonight Simon, it's not healthy for you, you could catch cold and get sick." Luna says with a concerned tone.

I look around at our surroundings. My voice sounds more brave and confidant than I am. "Says the girl who's out with me, in the middle of nowhere on her own. How did you get here, anyway? I didn't hear a car or engine..."

Luna grins, her smile looking as friendly as it does deadly. "Do you want me to show you?"

My curiosity is getting to better of me as I wonder what she has planned. She doesn't look much older than I am. I smile as I grab my backpack hoping we're going to leave the small cool alcove to someplace dry and warm.

"Sure." And reach for her outstretched hand.

A gust of wind surrounds us, putting out my little campfire, and we are suddenly propelled into the sky. I'm.... Floating? I feel both solid and not at the same time as Luna and I drift towards Newcrest.

"This is the most exciting way to travel." I feel Luna's voice more than hear it. Do I have ears right now? Everything feels surreal!

We land on a roof of a nightclub along the main uptown strip in Newcrest. I feel myself grow more solid again as my feet touch the gravel of the rooftop.

"Wasn't that fun?!" Luna says excitedly, still holding my hand.

In the glow of the surrounding lights, she is a dark form with only her neon accented clothing and hair showing her movements. And those beautifully perfect white teeth. I look around, trying to get my bearings.

"We're in Newcrest, right?" I ask hesitantly.

"Yes, we're on the roof of the Temptations Night Club, come, let me introduce you to my mother." She smiles at me, I can see a twinkle in the black orbs and I'm wondering what she has planned for me.

I use humour to diffuse my nervousness. "We're not even dating yet, and you want me to meet your mother?"

She giggles, it's a sweet sound. "You're funny. I knew there was something about you I liked." She smiles as she leads me to the rooftop stairway door.

I welcome the warmth as we open the door. The noise and music get louder as we walk down the stairs. We come out into a back bar of the 2nd floor of the club. The music is coming up from the DJ below us. The first thing I notice is the smells and aromas surrounding this floor. Exotic, different, I look around at people around us. Some look human, some look almost human, and some look like they've never been human at all. I get distracted as a foot-long humanoid with dragonfly wings flies in front of me, looks at me for a moment, before fluttering off again.

I look at Luna, perplexed. "Was that a..." I'm at a loss for words.

"Pixie. One of the regular faerie-folk who come to the club." She says over the music. Her voice is crystal clear despite the noise and commotion around me.

I look around the room. It's shaped as a large donut, with a glass railing opening to the floor below. From my vantage point, I can't see what's down there, but the crowd sitting or leaning along the railing seems to be enjoying what they are looking at below. Dancing, perhaps?

"I don't see my mother, she must be tending bar downstairs." Luna says calmly and we walk towards a lit staircase.

I pass by an interesting assortment of patrons, none of which seem to find my presence strange. I slide along a tall Asian gentleman in a long coat and scarf; I look at him, wondering why he's not uncomfortably warm when he gives me a fanged smile in greeting. _Never mind, don't want to know,_ I quickly turn away watching Luna, she's not let go of my hand since we landed. Her skin is soft, warm and her grip comforting.

We walk downstairs, passing a very tall and imposing bouncer. What I see as I look around the room is not what I was expecting. Oh, this is a dance club, as the DJ rolling out the house music is promising, but the raised dance floor has 2 poles and exotic dancers in various forms of undress. It doesn't take long to spot staff from patrons, as the people working the club are all dressed in lingerie. Those not interested in the men or women up on stage are dancing the to DJ's beat on the lower dance floor. It seems this club has a little of something for everyone. At 15, I'm pretty sure that I don't belong in a place like this.

We make our way to the front bar where another ebony skinned woman, like Luna, dressed in black leathers, is serving drinks. Luna flags her and she smiles. She nods to a man in an evening suit who takes over the bar for her.

The tall woman brings us to a quiet booth away from the crowd. When we are alone, she turns to us.

"Luna, what are you thinking bringing an under-aged human into the club?" Her voice is stern, but not angry.

"Emmenya, I found this boy out in the woods, it would have been cruel to leave him out there tonight." She says in a worried tone.

"Because of the blood moon?" the woman is almost a twin to Luna. They look so much alike. Dark skin, black orbs for eyes, with just enough makeup to accentuate her features. She looks exotic, beautiful, and smells equally compelling. Though she looks a little older than my new friend, and her voice is deeper with an almost constant sultry tone to it.

"Exactly, I would not leave him out there as a snack to new werewolves." Luna says firmly.

"Werewolves exist!?" I say in surprise.

"Yes, and they are feral and savage at the onset of puberty, at least till they gain control of the change in their bodies. This is the first full moon of fall, very dangerous for a young human to go running around on their own." The woman sitting across from me says calmly. "What were you doing so far out in the woods alone?"

I shuffle my feet nervously and look at my hands.

"Come Simon, there's nothing to fear here." Luna's soft and gentle voice says beside me. _Why do I find myself trusting so deeply in this strange creature?_

"I was..." I sigh "I was running away from home." I say in a sad tone.

"Why would you run away from home?" Luna's mother asks me.

"Because my parents no longer love me?" I reply, "At least not after the argument I had with them last night."

She gives me a soft motherly smile. "Now, now dear. I'm sure your parents don't hate you."

"They caught me wearing some of my sister's clothes." I start. I don't know why I'm telling this stranger my story, I guess I just needed to tell someone. "They asked me if I was gay."

"To which you answered?" She pushes me to continue as I hold back my tears.

"I'm not gay. I like girls, but not just like them as in attracted to them, I want to be one myself. I don't fit in anywhere as a boy!" I retort. "I get teased, and bullied, and I'm not strong enough to defend myself. My parents told me to knock it off and stop being such a baby."

"So you ran away from your pain." She says softly in a comforting tone.

Luna puts a comforting hand on mine, and I instinctively lean against her for support. I only met her tonight, but she just feels so safe right now.

"I didn't know what else to do!" I say with a tear rolling down my cheek. "I don't want to end my life, I just don't want to be Simon, the girly wimp that everyone picks on in school anymore." I look at her and sniffle. "Am I wrong to hope that there's something better out there for me?"

She gives me a loving smile. "No, you're not wrong to hope for a better life child. In fact I believe I know someone who can talk to you about it." She looks at Luna. "But he can't stay down here, he's too young, bring him back upstairs and wait in a booth, Rose will find you there."

"Yes, emmenya." Luna says nudging me and we get out of the booth.

"And don't walk this time." Her mother says in a stern tone.

"Yes, emmenya." Luna says, bowing her head. She looks at me "Ready?" I nod, though I'm not sure what I'm ready for. She takes my hand in hers, her touch is so soft, so gentle. She reaches up. 

" _Ossalur_ " and the club disappears for a moment.

We suddenly reappear upstairs directly above where we were before. A few patrons look our way in mild surprise, before turning around and going back to their drinks and conversation.

"How did you do that?" I ask in surprise.

"Drow are strong in magic, I wish I could teach it to you." She says with a smile.

We sit in a booth, and a waitress comes over and asks us if we want drinks. I ask for a root beer float and Luna asks for something called a Plasma Jane.

"So... Drow, as in D&D, fantasy type Elven creatures from the Underdark?" I ask as the waitress leaves.

"Role-playing games are wonderful at introducing to open minds that there is more to the universe than humanity." Luna says with a smile.

"Is that why I am not afraid of you?" I say puzzled.

We're quiet for a moment as the waitress gives us our drinks and then moves away.

"I am not frightening because of this." She says swirling the strange murky purple drink. It smells metallic, but also sweet, like the aroma that surrounds her. "The plasma fruit in this drink takes away the deathly pallor of my vampiric nature and makes me more alluring."

I take a sip of my root beer. "Wait, I thought you said you were drow..." I say confused.

"My mother was a full-blooded drow turned vampire before she had me, so I inherited all of her traits when I was born." She looks up at me. "The thirst only started at puberty, but since then I need this fruit to keep it down or I become bloodthirsty like any other vampire in here does."

I look around the room nervously. I'm a mundane human surrounded by creatures of myth and legend, some of which I thought were only figments of imagination. Like the three gnomish creatures, sitting at the small table behind me.

"So.." I clear my throat. "I'm the only human here?" I say in a worried tone.

"There are humans here." Luna smiles at me and it calms my emotions. The effect this girl has on me is amazing. "I thought you would be more comfortable on the main floor, but my mother says you're too young to be sitting in the exotic dance club. There are other humans up here as well, the magically adept are drawn to the club's exotic nature - and not just for the dancers downstairs. Don't worry, luv, you are safe here with me." She gives me a warm smile and I suddenly relax.

The moment I met this strange girl in the woods, I've felt safe. There is just something about her that tells me I can trust her. Despite all of my reading and gaming, she's not the cruel, bloodthirsty, cynical creature of hatred that fantasy novels make either of her races to be. No, she's stunningly beautiful, attractively alluring, and kind.


	2. Strange Introductions

Luna and I sit in the club, we talk we joke, we laugh, we share stories. She’s not much different from me in some ways. Like any teenager, she goes to school, has her own chores, homework, and studies. But then she’s also been in school for over 20 years. As Drow age slower than humans, she can take more time to focus on new things. She knows at least what I do, but more about human history, magic, mythology… oh and she doesn’t sleep. She merely meditates a few hours a day, and then she’s ready for more. I almost feel jealous of her abilities. She can do so much more with her life and she’s nearly immortal from what she tells me. My mundane existence suddenly feels so short and limited compared to hers. 

After a half hour, two women come up to the table. Luna gets up and gives them a hug, then settles in the seat beside me. The first is a strikingly beautiful tall redhead with curly hair and emerald green eyes. She appears muscular, but like my Drow friend, I feel more drawn to her than threatened. She smiles at me and I almost melt. Her companion or girlfriend (by the way she’s hanging off of the redhead's arm) is a head shorter, with long black hair and crystal blue eyes. She’s slimmer, almost as attractive, and her smile is genuine. They slide into the booth and the redhead extends her hand to me. 

“I’m Rose, this is Diane, Ashanna said you have a bit of a dilemma on your hands.” 

I take her hand, it’s soft and warm. 

“So, are you both vampires?” I ask, leaning against Luna. I don’t know why I trust my dark-skinned companion so much, but she’s proving so far to be safe.

“No, we’re not vampires.” Diane smiles warmly. 

“That’s not the reason we are here.” Rose continues. “Ashanna tells us you are having a bit of a gender crisis.” 

“What about it?” I frown. 

“Well, being transgender women, we have some knowledge and experience with gender crises, and how to navigate through changes in life. So.. Tell me a story about yourself, and let’s see if we can help you…” Her smile is calming and her voice gentle. 

“You mean you used to be…” I start with a frown. 

“Boys.” Rose says finishing my sentence for me. 

“Feels like another lifetime ago.” Diane adds. 

“So, darlin’ tell us your tale.” Rose smiles. I notice she has a southern bayou accent, whereas the raven woman doesn’t.

I spend the next hour spilling my heart out to the three women I barely know at the table. It almost feels therapeutic, as Rose and Dee (as she wants to be called) ask me to clarify the plight of my existence. The bullying, my effeminate nature, the strange dreams I’ve had over the past two years. It all started when I turned 14 and my mind decided I was not like other boys. Ever since then I’ve made more female friends than male friends, I’ve been trying to figure out what makes girls so different, and why I identify myself more like them than my male friends. 

I feel like I’ve dumped a pile of emotional baggage all at once, but it feels good to finally get it all off of my chest and out in the open. After it is all said and done, I’m happy but also exhausted. 

“It’s late, even for a night owl, you’ve probably had a long day.” Rose says in a motherly tone. 

“Let me bring him home to sleep, at least until we figure out what else to do.” Luna says with a smile. 

“Good idea, our house is anything but quiet.” Dee says with a grin. 

“I’ll call you when he wakes.” Luna says to them. The women nod and move out of the booth. 

“See you soon, hun.” Rose smiles at me and the two women leave. 

“So what are we doing?” I say sleepily, I’m exhausted now that I got all that out of me.

Luna holds her hand out to me. “I’m brining you someplace safe to sleep, and we’ll talk more about this tomorrow.” 

I take her hand and she pulls me against her. “This spell takes a bit more power. Hold on to me.” I put my arms around her without hesitation. “ _Lelimana mardi_ ” she says, and the club disappears. 

I feel like we’re floating in a void for a moment, I ‘feel’ motion without being able to see anything in the darkness. Suddenly the world around me changes and I’m standing on a soft zebra patterned rug. Before us is a grey canopy bed. 

“Where are we?” I ask with a yawn. 

“Home, you’ll be safe here.” She walks through the semi-transparent glass doors to the hallway and leaves me alone. 

I’m too tired to argue and shed all but my underwear and slip into the comfortable silk sheets. As I drift off to sleep, I think to myself. _Why would someone who doesn’t sleep need such a comfortable bed?_

Strange transformation dreams fill my sleep that night. I start off as I am now, a tall, thin, blond-haired, blue-eyed male. I am walking through this mystical forest garden with little fae dancing around me. 

“What is your deepest wish?” they whisper to me.

“I want to be a girl!” I say to them. They chant as mist and dust swirl around me.

I can feel my body change, I can feel parts of me grow, parts of me shrink, and when they are gone I have my wish. Only this time, this dream differs from the others. My hands are a dark charcoal grey. I look at my reflection in the nearby mirror smooth pond, my skin is dark, almost black, my eyes but black orbs, outside of my blond hair, I look like Luna… 

I take a deep breath as I suddenly sit up in the bed. I look around a strange bedroom. Sunlight filters in from stained glass windows. My lower body is covered in silver and grey silk sheets. I look to my left as someone in a tall-back chair is typing at a computer. She turns around and gives me that frightful, yet comforting fanged smile. 

“Good morning.” Luna says in a soft musical voice. “Did you sleep well? You started tossing and turning… you look as if you woke from a nightmare.” There is a touch of concern in her tone. 

I comb my fingers through my hair and take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. Luna turns in her chair, leaning her shoulder against the back so that she can talk to me. 

“I had one of my transformation dreams last night.” I say sorting through the events of my colourfully vivid dream. “It starts like so many others, I’m like what you see right now, and I’m walking through some enchanted glade. Multi-coloured fae are asking me what my heart desires, and I tell them I want to be a girl…” 

I pause for a moment. “Go on?” Luna encourages me. 

“They chant in some strange language and there is mist and dust swirling all about, and - when the chanting stops - everything suddenly grows quiet, and the fae are gone.” I look up to her. “Curious I see a still pond nearby, it’s surface like a mirror, so I step up to the pond and look down….” 

“What did you see?” Luna asks curiously.

“I saw a blond-haired version of you.” I say to her in surprise. “It was my charcoal grey hands and arms, it was my body, and I sounded female, but I wasn’t human.” I say in surprise. 

“Does that frighten you?” Luna asks in a soft voice. 

“I… I don’t know.” I say honestly. “The surprise of seeing myself as a Drow woke me up.” 

“Have you had this dream before?” She asks curiously. 

“No, I’ve had transformation dreams in the past. Where I transform all or in part into a woman. I’ve even sometimes transformed into an elf in a more magical dream, but..” I say confused.

“Sounds like I kept you too late at the club last night.” Luna teases me. 

“But what does the dream mean?” I say even more confused. 

“It means you may have more options.” Luna says calmly and smiles. “Get dressed, and we’ll speak to my mother downstairs about your dream.” 

She hands me my backpack and I take my change of clothes from there, I somehow don’t feel shy or awkward walking away from Luna, in only my underwear, to change in her bathroom. 

When I come out, Luna is sitting cross-legged on her bed, typing on her phone. She looks up at me and smiles. 

“I’ve reached out to our friends to see when they can join us, Rose currently has some family issues to attend, and should be over soon.”

“Family issues?” I say confused as I fuss with my hair. 

“Rose and her wife Cassandra have three children that they care for. Diane helps when she can.” 

“Three children?” I say surprised. 

“Yes, a daughter almost in her teens, and two boys aged 8 and 6. They can be quite the handful at that age.” Luna smiles. “The two oldest look just like Rose, while the youngest looks like his other mother. They’re almost old enough to show their abilities, we’re all eager to see what they will manifest.”

I frown. “So Rose looks female..” 

“But unlike Diane has not yet had surgeries, she wanted a family, and has sired children.” 

“So her wife is…” 

“A woman, and the mother of the three.” Luna finishes for me. 

“How are they related to you?” I continue. 

“Rose is a bard. She met my mother on stage, and they have become close friends since.”

“So they have no problems that you are vampires, are they not afraid of what you can do?”

“Did you not learn what I told your yesterday? The Plasma fruit nourishes us creatures of the night, so that we do not hunger after mortal flesh. The women of my family, like the Rivers, are benevolent vampires. We do not feed on humans, we provide entertainment and art to humanity instead. This way we can enrich the lives of others.” 

“Which is why you are so beautiful and alluring rather than fearsome and scary?” I enquire. 

“Exactly.” She stands up and does something with my hair, combing it over. “There, now lets go talk to mother.”

I expected some sort of old Gothic or Victorian style dwelling, yet Luna’s house is large and expansive. With wide hallways, tall ceilings, and an amazing array of windows. I feel like I’m walking through a modernized architect’s rendition of a small castle.   
The stairs lead to a large open concept room. To right of me is a dining hall, to the left a comfortable lounge area. The hearth is lit, giving light and warmth to the room. Two bays or tower alcoves stand at opposite corners of the front of the house. At one corner sits an ornate globe of the world, something you would expect to see in a museum. The other corner sits a grand piano. Luna’s mother is playing a beautiful melody on the keys, the song is enchanting. 

As we touch on the bottom step, she stops playing and turns around smiling. “Ah, you’re awake, it is nearly noon, my child, you must have been so tired.”

“Is that why I feel so hungry?” I say with a shy smile. 

She gets up and gracefully walks towards us. Her motions are fluid, like a dancer. She takes my hand and I don’t hesitate. She leads us through the dining area, through a double archway and into a large kitchen.   
As I sit down at the island, she prepares a brunch for me; I notice Luna going through an archway to the back of the house, into what appears to be a greenhouse. The glassed in room features a small forest of herbs, vegetables, and two strange glowing trees. She comes back with an armful of fruit, which she washes in a bowl. 

“Do you want salad with your omelette, dear?” 

“Sure.” I say with a smile. 

Luna nods, and heads back into the greenhouse. She comes back a moment later with a handful of leaf lettuce and other greens. Luna prepares the salad as her mother puts the greens in the omelette, adds a slice of cheese and gets the prepared salad, adding it to the plate before giving it to me. 

“My name is Ashanna.” She says as she puts the plate down. “I apologize that there is no other meat with your brunch, but we are vegetarians in this house.”

“You avoid meat so that you are not tempted by the smell of blood?” I enquire.

“Quite observant of you.” Ashanna says as she makes some sort of fruit salad for her and Luna. The bulk of the fruit seems to be that sweet smelling metallic fruit Luna was drinking last night. As she portions out the fruit to her and her daughter, she looks at me. “I would offer you some of this, but sadly Plasma fruit is poisonous to most mortals.” 

I look over to the strange glowing trees. “It’s not native to this world, is it?” 

“No, they brought here it from another dimension to help vampires quell their blood lust during the Blood Moon. Then they discovered, regularly consumed, it quells our thirst all the time. Since then, a few of us care for the strange delicate trees so that they can nurture those of us who do not wish to harm humanity.” 

“I can’t believe there is an entirely alternate society that has been living under our noses all these years.” I say in surprise. 

“It surprises you that magic and paranormal creatures have existed all this time? Where do you think humans got the stories of vampires, and werewolves, and mermaids?” Ashanna asks me and I shrug. “As humanity has evolved, we have grown more cunning in blending in, we’ve lived among your kind for millennia, yet only few have noticed.”

“So.. Why me?” I ask, puzzled. “Why show all this to me?”

“You’re different.” Luna says while she eats her meal. “There was something about your aura that drew me to you.” 

Ashanna looks at me for a moment. “There is something about the child’s aura, it’s not quite what we see from those that are magically adept though.” 

“A hidden bloodline?” Luna asks her mother. “It would explain the transformation dreams.”

“You mean there’s something more to my dreams than just hopeful thinking?” I say catching on. 

“Perhaps.” She looks at me curiously. “How long has it been that you have felt different?” 

“At least two years now, maybe longer.” I say thoughtfully. 

“Do you remember the chanting from your dream?” Luna asks me. 

“Something about ‘moriquende’, and ‘eternitime’ is all I really remember, they kept repeating something like ‘lorimar ahim’…” I say with a frown, trying to remember, they kept repeating that line. 

“That sounds elvish.” Ashanna says thoughtfully. “ _Lariomar ahime_ , means ‘hear the voices’. Were there any elves in your dream?” 

“No, they were small little fairies.” I say. 

“Fae are sylvan creatures, they share a common tongue with our ancestors.” Luna says. 

“Good, you have been keeping up with your studies, my daughter, you might help solve this puzzle. Hopefully, you will have the same dream tonight and we can get you to tell it to us in your sleep.” Ashanna looks thoughtful. 

“You can do that?” I say surprised.

“It’s difficult to enter another’s dream realm, and I will only be there as an observer, you won’t be able to talk to me, your dream self may not even recognize me.” She says, looking into my eyes. 

“It’s better than constantly wondering what my dreams are. My parents made me sound like I was going crazy!” I say with exasperation. 

“Dreams often hold a message or meaning. If we can find out what that is, then we may unlock your true nature.” Ashanna says softly. 

I feel something rubbing against my leg and look down. A black cat mroews at me in question. I reach down and the cat closes its eyes, pushing up against my head, scratching. 

“Ungo seems to like you.” Ashanna smiles. “She rarely takes to strangers.”

“After sleeping in Luna’s bed last night, I probably smell familiar.” I say thoughtfully as I continue to pet the cat rubbing against me. 

The cat hops in my lap, cuddles in and purrs as I continue to pet her.

“It’s more than that, I think.” Ashanna observes. 

“My friend Ruby calls me the animal whisperer.” I smile as I coo at Ungo and give her lovings. “Cats and dogs are always friendly with me.” 

“What’s your last name, Simon?” She asks. 

“Greenwood.” I say without hesitation, giving the cat a soft belly rub.

Ashanna looks thoughtful. “Interesting.” 

“Does that mean something, Emmenya?” Luna gets curious now that she’s done the dishes. 

“It sounds like a modernization of an old elvish druid surname.” Ashanna looks between the two of us. “But with the centuries it may or may no longer hold any significance.” She looks at me. “Does your family originate from the Old Kingdom?”

“From the north of the isles,” I reply, recalling my family history. “It’s because of my Celtic origins that I have blue eyes and blond hair - so I was told.”

“Interesting indeed.” Ashanna smiles. 

There’s a glimmer in her eyes that makes me wonder if there is something about human history that I’ve never been told before. And that’s when I realize that - while there is no white or iris to their eyes - the black orbs are just as expressive as anyone else’s and I can tell a lot about their mood and thoughts in their faces. 


	3. Choices

A knock on the door breaks our conversation. Ungo hops off my lap and runs to the front door, like a dog waiting to greet someone. 

Next thing I know Ashanna is at the door, she moved so fast; I didn’t even see her get up. 

“You might want to greet who’s here.” Luna says with a knowing smile. 

“Okay…” I say confused, and she walks with me as we head to the front door. 

Rose, Dee and a third woman are speaking with Ashanna. The newcomer is nearly as tall as Rose; she has olive skin, and her black hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She’s cuddling a very happy Ungo in her arms. As I approach, the 4 turn to face me and smile. 

“Hi.” The woman says. “I am Cassandra.” She still holds the cat in one arm, as she reaches out a warm hand in greeting, and shakes it gently before letting go. 

I think back to our earlier conversation. “Oh, you’re Rose’s wife.” I say with a smile. 

She looks at Rose affectionately. “Yes, I am.” The two of them kiss briefly, before she turns back to me. 

“Let’s sit down and get more comfortable.” Ashanna suggests, and we make our way to the lounge area and sit down. 

Rose is the first to speak. “So, my first question to you is: Do your parents know you are here?” 

I shake my head, and Rose frowns. 

“Have you spoken to them at all since you left?” 

I shake my head again. “My phone is still back on my bike in the woods, in my waterproof frame bag, I only brought my backpack with me when Luna and I came to Newcrest." 

“Well, you’re not in Newcrest right now, so it’s best that your family knows. They could be worried.” Cassandra says with a touch of concern. 

“I’ll go find it.” Luna says. “I remember where I found Simon last night.” 

She stands up, and… disappears. Will I get used to how these people move around?

“I doubt they care.” I grumble. 

“Parents can disagree with their children.” Rose says. “It doesn’t mean they love you any less.” 

“Unless they’re like your father and my parents when we were growing up.” Dee says in a dour tone. 

Rose stiffens at that comment, and she frowns, the worry on her face evident. “Well… if that’s the case, then we have a few more options.” She looks at Dee. “Though parents can eventually come around, my father was quite happy when Cassandra and I married.”

“Meanwhile, my parents still don’t approve of me or our relationship.” Dee reminds her. “I gave up talking to them years ago.” 

“That’s cause you fell in love with a married woman.” Rose teases her. 

“You weren’t married when I first fell in love with you, in fact you and Cassandra weren’t even dating back then.” Dee says, defending her affections for Rose.

“No, I was dating Travis and Leilani back then. I still wasn’t single.” Rose reminds her. 

“I miss them.” Cassandra says sadly. “We never get to see them often enough.”

“Well, Travis wanted children of his own, and Leilani got upset when Cassandra had my firstborn. As much as they were accepting of our engagement at the start, it’s clear that they weren’t happy about it.” Rose comments. 

I watch as the three of them reminisce; I have a feeling they’re doing this for my benefit somehow. Still, curiosity gets the better of me. “Where are those people now?” 

“We lived together for years while we went to university, but they married each other.” Rose looks to me. “Travis felt compelled to have a more traditional family life as our lives got more popular.” 

“I still think Heart is yours and not his.” Dee comments. 

“We were both sexually involved with Leilani. They never did a paternity test, and Travis has always treated the boy as is own. They have two other children that are clearly theirs in wedlock.” Rose replies. “We still visit them from time to time when we can.”

“You still love them, don’t you?” I ask, Cassandra looks at me. “Some friendships never end.” She smiles. “We joined a large development project. It made us all minor celebrities for a short period, going to conventions, attending gaming panels…” 

Rose gives a grim smile. “Polygamy isn't a popular topic. When it was just the four of us, we could get away with dating one another. Our friends were Okay with it and even supported us. But when we hit the main stage, telling the public I had a wife was one thing. People finding out I had 2 other spouses, and we raised our children together as one family… it was not good for publicity, so we - sadly decided to make two formal families out of it.”

“But you still have other relationships.” I frown. “Diane is….”

“Her girlfriend, yes, but I’m not in the public eye. I’m a biologist. I happily stay out of the panels and conventions, I just can’t leave Rose, I love her too much.” Diane says looking at Rose affectionately. They briefly kiss and smile. 

We’re distracted with Luna arriving with my bike. “Found it!” she says happily. 

I get up and retrieve my phone from the waterproof bag, noting that the battery still has a decent charge. There are messages, a missed call from my troop leader, and several from my parents. 

“Have they tried to reach you?” Rose asks behind me, I hadn’t even realized she got up and jump at bit at how close she is. I take a moment to compose myself. How do these people move around so quietly?

“A few times.” I read off the messages.

-= Supper’s ready, you coming home soon?  
-= Well, we put your portion in the fridge, you can have it when you get home.  
-= If you are staying at a friend’s place, you could at least tell us where you are.  
-= Your troop leader just called and told us you’re missing from Llama Scouts. Where are you?  
-= Look if you don’t want to answer your phone, you better have a good reason, or you are grounded!

“They sound more annoyed and angry than concerned.” I say with a grim smile. 

“If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t be threatening to ground you, call them.” Rose says putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

“What am I going to say?” I say in a combination of fear and doubt.

“Be honest why you feel you needed to run away. They will either be open about it, want to talk about it, or disown you.” I give her a worried look at her last comment. “Either way, this is the time to find out how they truly feel about you wanting to be a girl.”

I nod and dial up my parents. It’s better to talk to them than try to sort this out via text message. 

“Simon!” my mother answers the line. “Where are you!?” 

“I’m.. Hmm.. At a friend’s place.” I say, I actually don’t know where Luna brought me last night, outside of me being at her place.

“Why didn’t you come home last night!?” she says in a worried and angry tone. 

“Well, I was almost at Newcrest when the storm hit, and it was too late to bike home in the rain, so.. I found a friend to stay with.” I reply. Luna gives me a smile and puts a comforting hand on mine. 

“Newcrest!?” My mother gasps on the line. “You biked all the way out to Newcrest!? What are you doing there!? Who do you know in Newcrest outside of your uncle Jim?”

“I made a few new friends.” I say with a smile. “They helped me get dry and gave me a place to stay for the night.” 

“Simon, you are being even more vague that you usually are, what are you really up to?” my mother says in an annoyed tone. 

“Mom, I was upset after our fight Friday night, and.. Well.. I was running away from home.” I say slumping my shoulders, Rose gives me a comforting squeeze. 

“Running away from home?! Why?” she says in a puzzled tone. 

“I told you I want to be a girl, and you told me to stop it. You never listen to me when I tell you about how I feel lately! You just tell me to knock it off and stop being such a baby.” I can’t hide the upset in my voice, or the tear rolling down my cheek from the emotions that are pouring out.

“Is that why you ran away?” Mom sounds annoyed again “Because you keep going on about being too girly, and you want to talk to someone about it? You’re a boy Simon, you just need to get used to the fact that nature made you who you are.” 

“But I have friends who are transgender mom! My friend Kevin, he used to be a girl, and everyone accepts him for who he is!” I say in my defence. 

“Trans what?! No no, just cause some tomboy wants to pretend she’s something else doesn’t mean Karen Smith can suddenly decide she’s a boy now, it doesn’t work that way!”

I look at the phone disappointed, more that she knew exactly who I was talking about and she still didn’t believe that trans people exist.

“Mom, his name is Kevin, and yes, transgender people exist - whether or not you believe it. This is why I ran away! You refuse to listen to me! I’m not coming home till we can discuss why I want to be a girl.” I retort. 

“You have school tomorrow young man, you are coming home tonight whether or not you like it, I’m not going to excuse you missing classes.” My mother angrily answers. 

“We can make arrangements for schooling and look at transferring your grades.” Rose says calmly beside me. _Has she heard everything my mother’s said?_

“Who’s that beside you Simon, is someone there coaching you with these answers?” my mother insinuates.

“No one’s coaching me with any answers mother, I’ve been trying to tell you about this for months now!” I say annoyed. 

“You are coming home!” my mother says annoyed. “Where are you? We’ll come and get you ourselves if you won’t come home on your own.” 

“I… I don’t know where I am.” I reply honestly. “I don’t know where Luna’s family lives. It was late, and it was dark…” 

“Let me speak to this girl's parents.” My mother says angrily. 

I nearly jump as Ashanna reaches for my phone. “Let me talk to your mother, luv.” When did she leave the couch?

I hand my phone over to her, and she talks to my mother. 

“Mrs. Greenwood, my name is Ashanna Rasmussen, and I assure you that your child is perfectly safe here with us.” There is a pause. “No, I am not sending them home.” There is another pause. “Yes, there is a reason I am not using a gendered pronoun.” I can almost hear my mother, she’s yelling so loud on the line. “No, as per their wishes your child can stay with us, they are safe here, we’ll arrange schooling in the meantime. Till you are ready to discuss their transgender nature, I don’t see the point in discussing this any further.” I can hear my mother threaten to call the police. “You can make threats all you like, Mrs. Greenwood, but we are not holding your child here against their will.” Ashanna winces at my mother’s outrage. “I suggest you discuss this issue with your husband, and we’ll be in contact with you when you both will talk this over calmly and with reason.” I can hear my father’s voice now on the line. “No, you won’t able to track this phone after I hang up, as I will turn it off. We’ll call you in a few days and hopefully then you can be more reasonable.” 

Ashanna looks at my phone, the annoyance on her face is clear. I can still hear my parents yelling as she hangs up the line. She turns off the device and hands it to me. 

“Well, that could have gone better.” She says disappointed. “Your parents can track your device, you are not to turn on your phone till we next reach out to them.” She says in a stern tone. 

I nod in agreement with no hesitation. I look at the people surrounding me. “Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?” I say confused. 

“Everyone deserves a chance to be themselves.” Dee says holding on to Rose from behind. “I had uncooperative parents and wasn’t able to transition till I left home and started University. Rose here was lucky, she had a supportive brother and could start transition early.” She gives Rose a hug. “We believe you need to live your own life - despite how young you are.” 

“Thank you for believing me.” I say with a smile. “My parents made it sound like I was being childish and needed to grow up.” 

“Dee and I teach at a private school in Newcrest.” Rose says. “We’ll talk to the school councillor and look at some options tomorrow morning.” 

“Private school? I don’t think my parents would every agree to pay for something like that.” I say hesitantly. 

Ashanna reaches out for my cheek. Her touch is soft and comforting. “Worry not your pretty head over such matters my dear, we’ll take care of that. And you can stay here while we sort out where to go from here. Would that be okay with you?” 

Not knowing where else to go or what to do - only that I don’t want to go home right now - I don’t argue with her. “I get to stay here with you and Luna, in this beautiful house?” 

“For as long as you like, child.” She smiles and rubs her thumb along my cheek gently before letting go. 

Rose smiles. “We don’t want you to lose school credits, I went through that, and it’s annoying trying to catch up. I’ll come get you tomorrow morning, we’ll see about transferring your school credits so you lose no time. At most, you’ll only miss one or two classes tomorrow." 

“Thank you so much, for everything.” I say, still amazed. 

_What did I do to deserve the compassion, caring and help of these people that I’d never met before?_ Since I woke up, I keep worrying that this is but a dream, and I’ll wake up any moment in my bed back home. Never in my life has anyone even believed in how I felt, yet these women have taken me at face value, without doubt, and the only questions they’ve had is to make sure this is truly how I feel. I stay quiet as Ashanna, Rose and Dee sort out details of what I will need to get me settled in the new school. I find myself lost in thought as I lose track of the where the conversation is going. 

As if sensing my conflict, Luna sits beside me and puts her arm around my shoulder. I take a deep breath, shuffle closer and lean into her, sliding my arm around her waist. There is just something about her that makes me so comfortable, so calm. Am I developing feelings for this strange exotic creature?


	4. Free Time

After Rose and her family leave, I really don’t know what else to do for the rest of the day. It’s too early for supper, I find my backpack and dig out some left over snacks I had, and munch on them. 

I discover that there are only two bedrooms in this house. Luna’s and her mother’s. There are also only two computers, and I’m not about to ask either of them if I can use their personal PC. I’m not sure if it’s safe to ask to go out cycling, so I wander the house a bit more. Just before the greenhouse, I discover stairs leading down. Lights turn on as I walk down the stairs. 

First thing I notice is a huge sectional couch, facing a large screen TV mounted on the wall. I should have expected, with the lavish comfort of this house, that I should find a media room. I notice a game console with 4 controllers on a table beside the TV. There is a karaoke machine in one corner, and an old multi-game 4-person arcade machine in the other. 

As I look around the room, I notice there are two doors along the wall with the stairs. Curious, I open one up, and quickly close it again. Yes, a coffin, I should have expected to find one in a vampire’s home… I still wonder how safe it is staying in this house knowing that both Luna and her mother are vampires. They have shown me nothing but caring and compassion though, so I feel I can trust them - even though it could mean my life if I am wrong.

I find the remote to the TV and pick up one of the game controllers. _Wonder what games they have on this…_

I’m lost in a game of Genie’s Curse when suddenly Luna plops beside me with a controller. I hadn’t noticed her come down and pick it up. 

“Want to switch over to a multi-player Density Effect game?” Luna smiles. 

“Sure!” I grin. “Are you any good?” 

“I’m okay on my own, but I bet we can beat my high score working together.” She grins. I’m so used to her fanged smile that I don’t feel threatened anymore. 

I switch games on the console, and she settles closer beside me. I queue a multi-player co-op, and we pop over to character selection. 

“You’re choosing a female character.” Luna comments as I work through customizing my character’s appearance. She already has a saved avatar and is waiting for me. 

“I haven’t played a male toon in over a year. Some of my online friends who’ve not met me in real life think I’m a girl.” I reply as I finalize the facial options and work towards body types. 

Luna watches me sort out the character build. “Well, you definitely are not like other boys when they play female toons. You’ve not over sexualized her at all.” 

“I figure, this is what my body-build would be if I had been born female.” I say as I look for random name choices. 

We soon get into the game, and we discuss the choices of missions we want to start off with. Luna is quick and accurate with her combat, I haven’t seen her miss a shot - or even get hit yet - as she seems to dodge everything coming her way. I play RPGs, so I’m struggling to keep up with her, as she seems to know exactly where to go, and when the opponents will pop up - sometimes setting up a shot before the red dots show up on the radar hud. 

“You’ve played this a fair bit.” I comment as I try to follow her motions. 

“Bought it when it first came out.” Luna smiles as she lines up her shot. 

“Ah, it was out for a good year before I could convince my parents to get me a copy as a holiday gift.” I comment, spotting an ambusher and taking my shot.

“What do you do on your free time?” she asks me. 

“I cycle a lot, I don’t get to play the console much - as it’s in the living room. I can only play when my parents aren’t watching TV. Otherwise, I spend most of my time in my room. I convinced my parents to keep my PC in my room, but they have my Internet on a timer - so that I don’t just sit in front of my computer all day. I try to keep busy: art, modelling…."

“You’re an artist?” Luna says mildly surprised. “Have you ever painted?” 

“In art class.” I shrug. “I don’t have paints of my own, so I do mostly pencil and charcoal sketching.” 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Her tone is a mix of curiosity and flirting.

I chuckle nervously. “I wish! I have a few female friends in school and online, but I’ve not dated any of them.”

“You said you like girls, yet you’ve never dated one?” She queries. 

“I… I’m way to shy. I wouldn’t know how.” I say blushing. “They’re my friends, how do you ask a friend out on a date?” 

“You’ve asked none of them out?” she says mildly surprised. “For a boy you are fairly attractive.” 

My face goes beet red. _Is she hitting on me?_ “Well, we’ll hang out after school, occasionally go to the movies together. But nothing that I would call a date… To be honest, a couple of them are queer, so they’d never want to date a boy to begin with.” 

“Oh.” She merely responds. “It’s a shame.” 

“Why?” I’m now getting curious. 

“You’re gentle, kind, and funny. I’m surprised no one’s asked you out before.” She smiles at me and goes back to the game. 

I look at her for a moment, dumbfounded. This girl I barely know finds me attractive and relationship material… _should I?_ The game breaks me from my thoughts as I’m forced to duck out of the way from getting shot. She giggles, her laugh is so adorable. _Is she doing this on purpose?_

Luna is right. By the time Ashanna calls down for supper, we’ve reached further in the story line than she has solo, and we record the new top score before heading up to eat. 

Tonight’s supper is a rice stir fry, it is amazingly delicious. I notice that Luna’s and her mother’s plates have the addition of some plasma fruit beside it. Luna brings up the latest season of Sea Venture - one of my favourite shows - so the two of us excitedly get into what parts of the show we like, and who are our favourite characters. Ashanna is mostly quiet during the exchange, but adds in some interesting facts about the actors in the show. I’ve never had such an animated meal before. The women are interested in how I feel, what I think, and what my interests are. For the first time in longer than I can remember, supper involved conversations where how I thought and felt mean something.

Suppers with my parents are usually them asking me about school and what projects I’m working on - with my father criticizing me on topics I might struggle with. It didn’t matter what I thought of my favourite topics, what subjects were fun and interesting. When they weren’t analyzing my academic performance, we would just sit quietly and not talk at all.. That is when we sat together for a meal, which wasn’t frequent. 

I get curious about the plasma fruit. “What does the plasma fruit do that other foods don’t?” 

“The nature of the fruit is close to human plasma. As it fills up the hunger, we can use it to nourish our bodies, rather than feed off of living creatures.” Ashanna replies. 

“So, what makes it so poisonous to humans?” I inquire. “I remember falling once and sucking on the wound till I could get it to stop bleeding.”

“Well, that would be due to it was your own blood.” Ashanna explains. “Drinking pure plasma is not something humans can or should do, which is why it is fed to you intravenously when your body requires it.” She looks thoughtful. “I suppose a small piece wouldn’t harm you too much, did you want to try some?” 

My curiosity is higher than my sense of caution and I nod. So Ashanna takes a small thumb sized piece and puts it on my plate. The fruit bleeds a purplish red liquid. It smells metallic, like blood, but also smells like something else. I take the piece and put it on my tongue. It’s sweet, sour, and tastes a little ‘off’. Like someone took raw liver, peaches, broccoli, and something else, then mixed it together. I swallow it with a slight look of disgust on my face, washing the strange after-taste down with some juice. My mouth has that fuzzy feeling when I eat kiwi. 

“I can see why you don’t encourage humans to eat this.” I say, trying to get the strange after-taste out of my mouth by scooping up the last of my stir-fry. 

“How do you feel, Simon?” Luna asks as I suddenly feel a warm rush climb up my body from my abdomen. 

“Strange…” I shake the feeling from my head and look at her. 

“Simon’s eyes just glowed emmenya. Is that common?” Luna asks, looking at my facial reactions. 

“No.” Ashanna says, putting the back of her hand over my forehead. “Well, there’s no fever, or shakes…” she says thoughtfully. 

“People react to plasma fruit that quickly?” I say in a worried tone. 

“I gave you a larger portion than just a taste, so, yes, they can. We’ll see how the fruit works through your digestive track before you try more. If you experience cramps, pain or have and uncomfortable bowel movement, tell me.” She says in a motherly tone. 

I nod to her as the sudden rush recedes, and I feel okay again. 

After supper, Luna says she has some final schoolwork to take care of. We’re up in her room, as I look over the subjects she is studying. They don’t run the club on Sundays, so they won’t be going out tonight. 

“You don’t run the club…” I say, picking up on the subtext. “You mean, your family owns the Temptations nightclub?” I say in mild surprise. 

“Yes, my family owns the club. This extravagant house didn’t just pay for itself.” Luna teases me. “The exotic dance club on the main floor is for show. The adult nature of the club gives us a bit more freedom than any other bar or dance club in town.” She explains. “The principal purpose of the locale is a paranormal gathering place. The second floor welcomes all creatures, so long as they abide to the non-violence rules. There are a few hidden rooms underground: libraries, vaults, and ritual rooms - with the condition that no human sacrifice is allowed.”

“Wow.” Is all I can think of saying in return. “So, you basically hide in plain sight.” 

“Yes, the premise is to blend in with society, the less we draw attention to ourselves, the better we are. We are not the only family to do such. There are magical orders scattered across the globe, paranormal gathering places like ours pepper large cities. The less obvious a location, the longer it stands unopposed.” 

“Because someone is bound to find the strange patterns and those who fear your kind will hunt you down.” I’m looking over her history book, and there are chapters of history I never knew existed.

“Yes, humans deal with fear in one of three ways. They either brave past it, and valiantly will do the impossible to succeed. They will run from their fear and get as far away from it quick as possible.”

“Or they destroy everything that they don’t believe in - in order to erase its existence from history.” I finish for her as I read a passage of the Inquisition of medieval times. I look up from the book. “As a transgender person, I know what people do to people like me when they fear the unknown. Thousands of gender variant people are killed and murdered each year as a result of fear, hatred and misunderstanding.”

“Then, we face a common foe.” Luna says sadly. 

“How is it you move around people and no one seems to notice you’re different?” I say curiously. “I mean, your skin an ash grey, your eyes have no white or iris…” 

“That is what you see.” She says. “But with this charm.” She shows a silver necklace with a large black pearl hidden under her shirt. “Others see me differently.” 

Luna slides off the bed and reaches out her hand. I take it and follow her. She leads me to the bathroom’s full-length mirror. When she steps in front of it, her reflexion looks different. It actually surprised me to see a reflexion at all. Beside me is a girl with brownish dark skin, brown eyes and black hair. Her hairstyle is the same as what I can see, her eyes look ‘normal’ and her ears are rounded, like a regular Human. 

“See, to anyone else, I’m just a girl like any other.” She smiles. 

“Except for your punk style” I tease her, gently flicking her neon tips making her giggle. “You didn’t hide your true form from me when we met.” I say thoughtfully. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask emmenya why the charm doesn’t work on you.” She says thoughtfully. “The illusion is supposed to work on all those who do not have arcane or true sight.” 

“So I’m not like other mundane people?” I say with a frown. 

“Well, should your last name hold to your heritage, you hold Elven blood in your genetic makeup.” Luna says, recalling what her mother said this morning. “It would explain your tall, lean physique.” Her expression changes. “And your reaction to the plasma fruit.” 

“Because I’m not entirely human?” I chuckle. “Yeah, my parents would never believe that malarkey.” 

“Humanity over all fears magic. It’s a wonder how your race manages to continue keeping the arcane traditions alive.” Luna says sadly. 

“The only magic I’ve ever seen is from charismatic con-artists that use sleight of hand to fool or distract you. That is, until we flew together and you started teleporting us places.” I correct myself in the end. There’s no denying what Luna has showed me so far is the real deal.

Luna looks thoughtful. “I wonder just how much of your Elven bloodline you hold.”

“What do you have in mind?” I quirk an eyebrow.

“Let me try a cantrip, to see if it works.” Luna says. “ _Laurë_ ” she says and this golden flicker of light shows up in her palm. 

“Neat!” I exclaim. 

“Now you try.” Luna says dismissing the small ball of light.

“Me? I don’t even know what you did.” I say hesitantly. 

“When you first learn magic, you need to focus.” She says. “Close your eyes, she whispers. Now, focus on your palm, think of a soft golden light, like a firefly, dancing in your palm.”

I close my eyes, and take a deep breath, relaxing, getting the image in my mind. “Now what?” 

“Repeat after me: _Laurë_ ,” she says. 

I clumsily say the word and nothing happens. 

“Enunciation is important.” She says softly, I can feel her move behind me. She’s almost whispering in my ear. “Again, _Laurë_.” Her warm breath on my neck is raising an emotion in me I’ve never felt before. She whispers the word again. 

“ _Laurë_.” I say perfectly this time, and I can feel energy flow down my arm, and a warmth in my palm. I open my eyes, and there it is. A small flickering light, like a firefly. I feel Luna’s hands on my shoulders as I move my hand up and down, and watch the little ball move with my hand. _It’s amazing._

Ashanna comes into the room wondering what we are up to, as we’ve been quiet for a moment. She sees the look of wonder on my face, as I control my little flicker of light. 

“Did you just get Simon to summon a light cantrip?” She asks watching us. 

I turn to Ashanna, and my little firefly dissipates. I look at my hand and back at her. “Did you see that?!” I say excitedly. 

She leans against the doorjamb and smiles. “I did. It seems the plasma fruit did more than I expected.” She says looking me up and down. “You aura is stronger than it was last night. Still not to the degree of an arcane potential, but for you to cast a cantrip… no mundane mortal can do what you just did, dear.” 

“What does that mean?” I say confused.

“You hold in your bloodline more potential than others. And it gives us more options if we can awaken the magic within you.”

“What would that do?” I say now confused. 

“Simon, elves and drow are related. If you do indeed hold an elven bloodline, as I suspect, there is a ritual, from your dream, that can awaken your true self.” She says thoughtfully. 

“What good will a male elf give me?” I say, frowning. 

“Oh, but there is much more that **I** can do with an elven bloodline. If you possess the ritual, I believe in that dream, then you won’t have to go through medicines or surgeries. We could perform a ritual to turn you into the form you desire.”


	5. The Dream

I can’t settle down. My mind is full of so many hypothetical situations that my mind won’t calm down. 

Ashanna comes into Luna’s bedroom with a large cup of tea. It smells pungent and sweet. She offers me the cup to help settle down. 

“What’s in the tea?” I ask as I take a deep breath of the warm liquid.

“Mugwort, chamomile, mint, lavender, and a bit of honey,” she says softly. "We refer to Mugwort as the ‘dream plant’ it should help strengthen the dream. It should also help any further digestive trouble that the plasma fruit may cause you tonight." She puts a comforting hand on mine. “I will be here beside you should anything go wrong, now, be a dear and drink it all up.”

I drink the whole mug down, grateful that I had gone pee before deciding to lie down. Ashanna has me lay down in bed. The tea helps me relax. Ashanna’s soft voice is going through a meditative process. As I focus on her voice, I can feel my body relax, then my mind calm, and then drift off to sleep…

“ _Lariomar ahine_ …” I hear the words as I fall into a dream state. “ _Lariomar ahine_ …”

I follow the voices and soon find myself in front of three strange creatures. Their lower bodies are that of a spotted deer. Instead of a neck, they have a centaur-like body of a dark-skinned elf. They are beautiful, with glowing golden eyes, and long green hair. 

“ _Ayar hén o i glad, afadamen._ ” They say together. “Hail child of the forest, follow us” I hear in the back of my mind, I recognize the voice, but I don’t see her. I nod to the dryad and follow them. 

“ _Laiomar ahime_.” Say 3 times more. I follow them deeper into the forest. “ _Ahim indóme ontuva míotye_.” Again the soft female voice speaks in my head. “Hear the voices. Change will be created inside of you.”

I feel something around my neck; I take it in my hand and look down. It is some sort of dream catcher, a half moon wrapped in leather, beads and feathers form a stylized star pattern. The dryad draw me into the middle of a beautiful flower filled glade. They dance around me and chanting. 

“ _O a adan ana adeneth. Adanath nosted mir edhil. I edhel lantuva mir lumbë tuvu cuil uireb._ ”

They repeat the chant 3 times as mist draws itself around me. I reach out and can feel my body change. I can see it in my hands first, the skin darkens to a charcoal grey, growing claws, the change climbs up my arms, as I look down, I can see the same happening to my feet. When it reaches my torso, I feel pain in my crotch and chest as my body is being morphed and changed I fall to my knees as my scream comes out in a woman’s tone. 

“What is happening to me?” A soft female voice comes out of my lips. 

“From a man to a woman. Woman birthed into an elf. The elf will fall into shadow and find life eternal,” The dryad are still speaking elvish, but I can understand them as if I speak their language. “Only once the full transformation is complete, will you find peace and unity. Trust those around you to guide you into your new life.” 

“But I just wanted to be a girl.” I say pleadingly. 

“It is all or nothing, there is no deviation from the ritual, complete it all or do not attempt it at all.” The dryad warn me. “Incomplete it will cause pain and death.” 

The dryad fade away, giving me the ingredients to the ritual.

“You will need the blood of your Elven kin, it is for this that the ritual is such.” They warn me as they fade away completely. 

I wake up, and Ashanna and Luna are by my side. They have a look of concern and relief on their faces. It’s still dark outside. _How long did I sleep?_

“Do you remember your dream, Simon.” Ashanna asks. 

“I do. It was so clear, unlike the other dreams, it felt as if I was awake and aware of everything.” I say in mild surprise. 

“I can see why your dream changed when you met us.” Ashanna says thoughtfully. 

“Why?” I say, confused. “Were you there? In my dream?”

“I was, and the dryads warned you, that once started, you will never be the same. Part of the ritual means you need to consume the blood of your ancestors to complete the change.”

“Okay…?” Not quite getting it.

“How many elves do you know, Simon?” Ashanna inquirers. 

“None.” I say frowning. 

“Who’s Elven blood is the most easily available in this case?” she continues. 

I suddenly look at her in realization. “I will become one of you. As the Drow are a matriarchal society, your blood would transform me into one of your daughters.” I start. 

“Now you understand your dream, even while not understanding magic.” She smiles. 

“But our blood’s now vampiric.” Luna says with worry. “Wouldn’t that?” 

“Turn our dear Simon into a vampire as well, yes. As the dryads warned, unless we can find another source, you take all that is offered by becoming my child - or none at all.”

I look at Luna and her mother. I would get more than I ever imagined with a transformation. So, I either become a Rasmussen, or I accept Rose’s offer to start a traditional medical transition - meaning I won’t have breasts till I’m 18 or 19… From what I read of teenage transition support, I would just be on hormone blockers till I’m an adult. 

“I’m going to need time to think about this.” I say after a moment. 

“Of course, this is a big decision. Take all the time you need.” Ashanna smiles. 

Something is nagging at me. “You said my dream changed when I met you.” She nods. “But how did my dream know what would happen, is my dream a connection to something else, something outside of me?” 

“You are now started to unravel the mysteries that surround magic.” Ashanna smiles. “There seems to be a deep part of you that is far more experienced in the universe than your young age implies.” 

“Like reincarnation? I hold an older soul…” I say, thinking of what one of my friends told me once on the subject. 

“More likely a spirit of the past that is looking for a way to reconnect with the living world.” Ashanna finishes for me. “Once you magically awaken, through either my blood, or that of another elf, you will awaken a consciousness that could be millennia old.” 

I chuckle. Remembering one of my favourite science fiction movies. “I have a Force Ghost guiding my path, like some lost padawan.” 

Luna giggles, she knows what I’m talking about. “That would be a close analogy.” She smiles. 

Ashanna pats my leg. “A conversation for later perhaps, it is still early, get some more rest before school.” 

I nod. “Thank you.” I say to her as she walks away. “For believing in me.”

“You are most welcome child.” She closes the door.

I look over, Luna is at her computer, I am not alone. Her presence helps calm my worry, and I drift back off to sleep.

I am walking through mist into a sunlit glade. 

“ _Afadlya nin hu_ ” says a soft voice of a woman. “Follow my voice.” I hear again in a language I understand. 

I follow the voice till I reach a house? It’s built into the tree, no it is the tree. Like the house and the tree are the same, I open the door and find myself in an ornate parlour or lounge. An elven woman is sitting in a comfortable chair by a hearth. The room is a combination of organically carved wood and stone. 

“At last we meet my child.” She smiles. “For many moons I have watched your world through the window of your dream. Thank you for finally opening a door for us to speak.” 

The woman stands up. She is a tall, graceful elf, with green eyes and soft golden hair. Her clothing is a combination of leather, silk and gold weave. She approaches me and I can feel her hug as her arms draw me in. I return the affection. She smells so nice. 

“Wait, how did I open a door?” I say now confused. 

“The blood fruit, it gave me the last ingredient for my spell.” She smiles. “I am Lairelindë, high priestess of the druid order of the 2nd age, apparently you are my descendant.” 

“How is it none of my family ever mentioned any of this?” I say confused, I already know the answer, but I want to hear her view on it. 

“I shall start with a tale, please sit.” She says and goes back to her chair. I take a seat opposite to hers. “In a time that humanity seems to have forgotten. There was an island across the ocean from here that the Fae called Tir Nan Nog. It was a magical place, where creatures lived as one with nature, and we lived in harmony with the natural world.” She reaches down for a cup of tea and sips.   
“Then humanity came, in a large, bulky ship. We greeted them in kind, as we would any other creature, for the elves believe in the goodness of all people - till shown otherwise. At first the humans were friendly, they were looking for trade, and brought us goods we had never seen before. We shared what we could with them, but the one thing they were most interested in, we could not provide: magic.”

“Soon, more boats came to our shores, and the humans eventually created a port, which grew into a settlement, then into a town, and they kept on growing. Compared to most sylvan creatures, humans were short-lived and reproduced quickly. Eventually deep friendships became deep bonds, and some humans bred with our people. It is then that they discovered the bond with magic and nature that they needed. The mixed-blood were strong in magic, and they soon designed a hermetic order. Calling their new talent arcane magic. They learned fast, and the elves were quick to quell research into the darker aspect of our mystical nature. We lived in harmony for many or their generations.” 

The elf drinks some tea, and I discover I have a cup as well on the table beside me. The tea is pleasant: mint with honey and lemon. 

“Then one day, a different ship appeared over the horizon. This was not a trade vessel, it was armed with weapons, its crew were angry and cruel. We sank the hostile ship and returned to our lives.” This is where Lairelindë’s face grows sad. “Upon the next new moon, a fleet of ships with the same flag appeared over the horizon. We used our magics as best we could, but more ships kept coming. And eventually they pillaged the riches they sought. In order to reduce our defences, the invaders deemed magic illegal. First, they denied ritual and blood magic, so that we could not see them coming. Then they limited hostile spells, magics that could control weather, water. With each new decree, we lost more and more of our freedom. We were to follow these laws or perish. Those that could, fled to the outer plans, beyond this reality.”

“Those that were left behind, dealt with the laws of the new world and blended in as best as they could. I never intermarried with the other races, but apparently one of my daughters, or my daughter’s daughters, have. For here you are, as human as can be. There is still a trace of your Elven heritage in you, which is what allowed us to form a bond. Does your family have a longer lifespan than others?”

“Women on my mother’s side easily live to see a hundred. And my great grandfather on my father’s is 110 and still kicking.” I reply. 

“Ah, so Elven blood on both sides of the family. That would be how you birthed different from your predecessors.” She smiles. 

“Most of my relatives are known to be tall, lean, fair skinned and stubbornly healthy.” I nod. 

“Stubbornly healthy?” She queries in a confused voice. I’m not sure what to answer in that regard when her expression changes. “Oh, that would be your sylvan heritage.” She smiles. “Elves are long lived and don’t fall ill easily. In my age elves only died of injury, we did not grow feeble, nor did we get ill when the humans came, rife with germs and diseases the isles had never seen. Our virulence and tolerance to pathogens was the envy of many sailors.”

“When I get sick, it’s short-lived and I get over it faster than anyone one else in school.” I say thoughtfully. “I guess I have you to thank for that.” I smile. 

“Sadly, there is little left of my heritage in anyone.” She says mournfully. “After passing on from this world, I’ve learned that the isles have changed, transformed by the humans, and lost most if not all of their magic. Humanity erased us from the history books for fear that knowledge may bring forth a new age of magic. From time to time, two strong bloodlines will marry. This will cause a new magically adept child to be born. If they are lucky, and found by the right people, they are raised and taught how to use their gifts. For such, the magical have quietly lived among the mundane, blending in, hiding ourselves, and continuing our heritage despite the heathens that would destroy us. Many elves like myself lay trapped in the dream realm, waiting for windows to show younger generations that this is not new, but an ancient power they have inherited, and to use their gifts with wisdom.”

“So why come to me? While Ashanna says my aura is unique, she said it’s not as strong as other more magically adept people.” I say confused. 

“We don’t choose our progeny.” My ancestor says. “You are of my bloodline, and for that I shall assist you. I believe you have greater potential than anyone else notices, you just need to tap it.” 

“The transformation dreams. Is it because I am trapped in this body that my ability has been reduced or limited?” I ask. 

“Yes. You are not of a male mind, which is limiting your potential. You need to align your mind with your body to find your true potential. Your new friends have given you choices, it is now up to you which course you will follow. One will lead you to happiness and comfort. The other will tap into a greater potential. It means becoming one of them though, as the dark elves are the only ones in your sphere of knowledge, that possess enough pure blood to make the transformation possible.” 

“I don’t suppose there are any elves exist in the world that could take their place?” I say hesitantly. 

“Not in this realm.” Lairelindë says sadly. “And I do not have the power to extend into the others. The Dream is attached to the material realm of your world." 

“I see…” I say thoughtfully. 

Two choices. I wonder how long I’ll need to decide. I’m already leaning on the people who have helped me most. While Rose is offering me traditional support, the offer of a greater potential is appealing. 

“Simon… Simon, wake up…” I hear a distant voice. 

“Simiathlas, she calls to you, it is time to go.” The elf gets up. 

“But I have so many more questions!” I say now that I’m getting comfortable in my dream realm. 

“We will speak again.” She smiles at me. 

I can feel myself being pulled away from the house, from the glade, it all becomes a blur till… I wake up. Luna is hovering over me, there is a look of concern on her face. 

“Do you usually sleep so soundly?” She asks, her voice filled with worry. 

I take a deep breath and shake my head. “I had another dream when I fell asleep. I was deep in the dream realm.” 

“What did you see?” She asks me as I sit up.

“My ancestor, or so the woman in the dream said she was. She was this beautiful lean wood elf with blond hair and green eyes. She said she was a druid, and I was of her bloodline.” I start rattling off before I forget the facts. 

“You have some most interesting dreams, dear Simon.” She smiles as she stands up. “Come, you’ll need to get ready for school, Rose will be here in less than an hour, did you want to shower?”

Luna reaches to a hook, and hands me a soft terry bathrobe. It smells of lavender. “Here, take this, I’ll see if I can find some clothing that will fit you.” 


	6. First Day at a New School

Luna is right, a shower feels good, her body soap and shampoo leaves me smelling like lavender and honey. I’ve never felt so feminine before. I wrap my body in the terry robe and still drying my hair as I come out of the bathroom. 

“I’m going to apologize.” Luna says. “I don’t have male clothing, but I found the most unisex items that I have in my wardrobe. You are shorter than I am, so I hope they will fit.”

Luna leaves the bedroom for me to get dressed. I’m a little embarrassed putting on the pantie briefs, but they feel so nice once they’re on. The jeans are like nothing that I’ve ever experienced. Growing up, my thin frame and slightly bony hips meant that pants either fit my waist, or fit my hips, and never both. As I slide the pants on, they fit well, and comfortable, all in the right places. They are tight in the crotch though; I try something I read in the forums, and tuck my member under my body, and then they feel comfortable. They also don’t compress my backside. I pull on the t-shirt and mock-neck sweater, it’s cool this morning. The clothing is all black, making my pale skin and blond hair noticeable compared to the earth-tones I usually wear. The only clothing of mine that she left for me are my sneakers.

I walk downstairs and go into the kitchen. Ashanna is watching me with interest. “Simon, do you usually sway our hips when you walk? I seem to remember you having a bit of bounce to your gait yesterday.” 

I blush. “Oh, sorry.” I say and change my walk. 

“No, don’t change your walking stance on my say so. You are naturally quite feminine when you don’t think about it.” She smiles. 

“Keven says it’s if we were born with our genders reversed.” I say as I sit at the kitchen island. “He should have been born a boy and I a girl with the way we naturally behave.” 

“This Kevin.” Luna asks as she munches on some plasma fruit salad. “Have you known him long?” 

I poke at the bowl of normal fruit salad that her mother hands me. “Since before he started his transition, he’s the only male friend I have. We’ve sort have grown really close in supporting each other.”

“That’s so nice of you to be supportive of your friends.” Ashanna smiles. 

“Well, Kevin’s always been a sort of tom-boy, way more masculine than I’ve ever been. We actually thought of dating before he started taking hormone blockers.” I say scooping some fruit in my mouth. 

“Why didn’t you?” Ashanna queries. 

“Well, he’s cute and all, but I didn’t want to confuse people by thinking I was gay by dating someone who identifies as a boy.” I say with a frown. 

“I can see how that would be a problem.” Ashanna smiles. 

The doorbell rings as Ashanna hands me my backpack. Like she knew Rose was about to arrive. 

“Good morning!” Rose smiles as Luna opens the door. “All ready for a new day of school?” 

“You’re not going to make us run laps again in gym, are you?” Luna says wearily. 

“Oh come on Luna, with your physique, you barely break a sweat.” Rose grins. 

“Okay, so I can do 10 laps before I break a sweat, but I don’t think some of my other friends appreciate it as much.” She smiles. 

“Mages are so soft.” Rose scoffs and puts her arm around me. I feel oddly comforted by her touch. 

“Rose is an Empath and a bard, don’t find it odd when you feel comfortable in her arms.” Luna says as if she knew what I was thinking. 

I look around the neighbourhood I’m in. It’s the first time I’ve really looked outside. We’re in a gloomy subdivision of sorts. There is a central park with about a dozen Victorian style homes lining the north and south sides of the square. It feels spooky, like an odd chill running down my spine. I don’t see any side streets or alleyways, just roads at either end of the park. The sound of running water is behind us, as if some sort of river or rapid-moving stream is behind the house. The road to the right leads up the hill to a very large manor house. Leaving the road to the left as the only means out of this area.

“I don’t have the strength to carry all three of us, care to do the honours?” Rose looks to Luna. 

“Bards.” Luna sighs. “All you lot are good for is influencing people and illusions.” 

Rose shrugs. “It works for me.” She grins. 

Luna smiles, takes our hands and closes her eyes. “ _Lelyana parmanen_ ”

The scenery changes and I recognize the sounds and smells of Newcrest. Just how far did we travel to Luna’s home that it’s completely different from the place we arrive? We’re standing on the steps of a large building. **Newcrest School for the Gifted** says the wooden sign in front of us. The children passing by us don’t seem to be alarmed at all by the fact that we suddenly appear out of nowhere. In fact, we’re in a sort of engraved circle, like some sort of landing zone. We step out of the circle as someone else appears behind us. 

Rose frowns as the cloud cover is breaking, offering shafts of sunlight across the land. It looks pretty. “Looks like gym class will be indoors today.” She says, she takes my hand and brings me into the building. 

“I’ll see you at lunch.” Luna smiles at me and waves. 

We’re making our way towards the administration office. “So, have you decided what you want to do going forward?” 

“It’s a big choice.” I say, trying to choose my words. 

“It is. But is also can change how we register you here in class.” Rose says. “Either way, you don’t want to go by the name Simon here, do you?” I shake my head. “Then once we transfer your school credits, we’ll have to come up with a new, more feminine name for you. Whether you take my path of that of the Drow’s you’ll be a girl one way or another.” 

“Right.” I say thoughtfully. “The elf in my dream called me Simiathlas.” I say thoughtfully. 

“New Leaf.” Rose smiles. “I like that.” 

“You know what that means?” I say, suddenly surprised.

“I’m a huge geek.” Rose explains. “Learning elvish became a passion of mine.” She grins. 

“So… _Ahim indóme ontuva míotye_ , means what?” I ask curiously. 

“Change will be created inside of you,” Rose says thoughtfully. “During transition, your body slowly changes. From your muscle and fat deposits, to your hormonal balance, skin, pores, even your scent will change from what you are now.” 

“I read about that as I was helping Kevin with his transition support.” I say with a smile. 

“I had friends who cared for me and supported me in my transition as well.” Hopefully, we can reconnect you and Kevin some day, in the meantime, you want to distance yourself from your old life - or risk your parents finding you and ruining what you are working towards.” 

“Is it really that much of a risk?” I ask, concerned. 

“Without emancipation, as a minor, your parents have the legal right to manage your care and support. So yes, it is that much of a risk if they find you before we can make permanent changes.” Rose warns me.

We get into the school councillor’s office. I sit there quietly as Rose explains the situation as parental abandonment (her words, not mine), and my need to continue my studies until new legal guardianship rights can be established. The school administrator then asks me for all the information she would need: Full name, date of birth, school name, address, and such. She takes about 20 minutes to find all of my school records, medical files, and ID. Rose asks that the councillor not put in a transfer request, but merely copy my school credentials over. 

“What are you planning, Rose?” The woman asks as she prints out all the information. 

“With transgender children, sometimes the parents will take offense of 3rd party support. I want to keep Simon here safe till emancipation orders can be filed in case the parents get vindictive.” 

“So you’re bringing me another one of your saved trans-kids.” She smiles as she fills out the information for this school. She looks at me. “So, because you won’t be using your birth name hun, what name do you want to use till it’s legally changed?” 

“Simiathlas Rasmussen.” I reply without hesitation. I don’t know why I’ve chosen Luna’s family as my new legal guardians, I hope my choice will not upset Ashanna. She said I could stay with them as long as I liked.

“Rasmussen?” the woman quirks an eyebrow, even Rose looks surprised. “Not adopting another into the Montgomery family then Rose?” 

“Apparently not.” Rose studies me for a moment. “Though her choice is fitting, considering who’s she’s living with right now." 

“Okay, so recognized gender is female.” The woman continues putting the information into her computer. “For medical purposes, we will keep biological sex male.” She looks over to me and I nod. 

“You’ve done this before?” I ask Rose quietly as the woman works to fill out new ID for me. 

“I’ve saved 7 transgender children in the past, ones that I found on the street, abandoned by family, no home, no friends. I adopt them into mine until I can find them a place to live on their own. Only, this time, Ashanna found you first.” She smiles, then her expression changes. “One of my cases, when we filed the school transfer papers, the parents came back and made the girl’s life miserable, claiming I kidnapped her - even though they had thrown her out of the house. It was a messy court proceeding, dealing with an ‘abduction case’ as I was trying to file emancipation papers. I rather not go through that again with your parents.” 

“Oh. You think my parents would do that.” I say worried.

“They were angry enough to try to track down your phone, then threaten to call the police. When they realized they couldn’t force you into the life they want, the result would have been you having a harder life than you’ve had already. I’ve been in that situation, I don’t want you to live through the same pain that I did.” 

“So, remove traces of this school’s enquiry, so that they can’t track it down.” The councillor says. “Got it.” 

“You don’t want to go back to the life they’ll make you live, do you?” Rose asks. I shake my head violently. 

“After the last conversation with my parents, I know that they’d never accept my transition.” I say sadly. 

The councillor looks at me sadly. “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s hard enough growing up, even harder when your parents are the bullies. I’m Caroline, if you need anything here in the school, reach out to me.” She turns around. “Most students have use of a computer here in class or at home. As I doubt the Rasmussens have gotten you one yet and knowing Rose’s resources. This is yours - provided you keep your grades up.” She she gets up and opens a closet, takes an item from it before turning around. She puts a laptop box on the desk and pushes it my way. 

My eyes light up. “I’ll get a travel case for it for you later.” Rose smiles. 

“I don’t know what to say!” I sit there completely stunned. 

“A thank you is a good start.” Rose winks. 

I blink, _silly me_. “Yes, thank you, thank you both so much!” 

They both smile. “So, you’re next class is Math.” Caroline says. “Your first block on Mondays is usually Phys Ed. I copied over your course list and curriculum from you last school, so the time slots shouldn’t be too different from what you are used to.” She hands me my class schedule. “The laptop is already configured to work with the school network, including all the software and tools you’ll need for your courses. Your ClassNet password and ID are on sheet two, along with what credentials you’ve already earned.” 

She reaches in a drawer, “Now I’m going to want you to stand over there for your school photo ID.” 

I do as I’m told, I can see the outline of where I should stand. She pulls out an odd-looking camera, like the one I saw the DMV use when my dad got his driver’s licensed renewed. “Just stand still and…” there’s a flash. “Done. I’ll have this ready by lunch, come by my office before you go to your afternoon classes.”

We spend the rest of first period going over school rules, regulations, dress code. I’m handed my locker combination and location. She then summarizes what to expect from my teachers, my classes, and to not stare at any of my classmates. This is an inter-racial school, and she’s not just talking about humans. I’m going to have to get used to the fact that I now live in a fantasy world completely different from the one I left, where magic and paranormal creatures are considered ‘normal’ here. 

I’m going over the school map while Rose and Caroline go over some last details on my documents. 

“Okay. Simiathlas, we have you all set up. Before class starts, I want to you go down to the nurse’s office and get a physical done. According to your medical records, it wasn’t done yet this year.”

I look up, a bit confused. “I’ll bring her down.” Rose says. 

I thank Caroline and walk through the quiet halls downstairs to the nurse’s office. 

“Rose, why can I see through illusions?” I ask quietly as we’re walking. 

“That’s a good question.” Rose responds. “I’ll see if I can contact someone to give you a proper diagnosis. Mother warned me you could see through the veil - as we call it - and to not bother hiding my nature. Something about your aura is different, that’s all she’s been able to tell me.” 

“Honestly, Luna’s true form is much more beautiful that the illusion that the charm makes.” I say candidly. “She showed me what others see through a mirror.”

“You fancy her, don’t ya?” Rose teases me, my blushing is all she needs as a response. “It’s okay, the Rasmussen women are exotically beautiful, it’s natural to be find yourself attracted to her.” 

“Will that feeling ever go away?” I query. 

“Considering how much of a natural flirt Luna is? I doubt it.” Rose smiles. “Just remember, she’s a hundred years older than you are, don’t be fooled by the fact the looks like a teenager only a year older than yourself.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” I say thoughtfully. 

The nurse greets us and does a more thorough physical than I’ve ever experienced. Oh, sure, she started off with height, weight, reflexes, and all the regular things my family doctor did. But then she did blood tests, gave me some inoculations that she said I needed, and passed some sort of scanner over my body. 

“I’ll get the blood tests to the lab, and the scans to Dr. Silvester. She has the most interesting of auras. I’ve not experienced one like hers, it almost reminds me of the Rasmussen girl’s.” 

“Fitting that she’s naming them as her legal guardians, then.” Rose smiles. “It’s likely her Elven bloodline, Ashanna, says it’s stronger now than we first met.”

I’m quiet, I’m not sure if I should admit that eating a thumb sized piece of plasma fruit is changing my life. _I wonder what would happen if I ate more. I’m not feeling any ill effects._

I hear the bell ring as she’s getting my records sorted. 

“Better head on to your next class. We have advised the teachers there’s a new student, so expect to make introductions.” Rose says. 

“I’m sort of shy…” I say with a worried look. 

“You’ll be fine.” Rose smiles. “Luna knows how to reach me, contact me if you need anything.” 

“What if I can’t find Luna?” I say in a worried tone. 

Rose smiles. “You and Luna share some sort of connection, she’ll never be far.” Her tone of voice brings me comfort, but what does she mean by we share a connection? 

Before I can ask any more questions, Rose gently nudges me out of the nurse's office and tells me to hurry on to my class. 


	7. Classes

I’ve heard of horror stories of settling into a new class. I just hope this won’t be so awkward or that I won’t get teased. I weave through the students, people just seem to flow around me, and look for my Math class. Room 207, found it!

I walk into Math as the students are filing in. I head to the teacher’s desk and clear my throat to get her attention. She looks up from what looks to be class notes on her laptop, and smiles at me, I smile back as I recognize my Math teacher. 

“I’m the new transfer student…” I say in a soft voice.

“So you’re Simiathalas.” She smiles at me, “I’ll make formal introductions,” she says with a wink. “I’m Cassandra Montgomery, I’ll be your math teacher this semester.” She reaches over and hands me a book. “Here’s your math book, I hope your old school is up to speed, we’re already on chapter 3.” 

As everyone settles into their seats, Cassandra gets up and brings me to the middle of the front. “Everyone, this is Simiathalas, she’s just getting herself oriented here, so I hope you will all give her a friendly welcome.” 

I get various degrees of half-hearted greetings and I smile bashfully. She points me to an empty seat 3 rows in and I head over to it. I pull a spiral notebook, mechanical pencil, and my kneaded eraser out of my backpack. 

Cassandra waits until I’m settled before starting the lesson. “Now, if you would all turn to page 125, we’ll be starting whole number exponents today…” 

I follow her, and I feel a tap on my right shoulder. I look to this pretty girl with pale blue eyes and platinum blond hair. She has the most interesting blue vest on. 

“I’m Sala, are you good with math? Your name is Elvish, but you don’t look like one.” Her voice is song-like.

I smile and keep my voice low. “I’m working on reconnecting myself to my Elven heritage, it’s complicated. Yes, Math is one of my better subjects.”

She waits till Cassandra has her back turned and passes me a small bit of paper. “Please call me, I’m falling behind in class, and I’m too scared to ask the teacher for help.” 

Cassandra turns around, looks right at us for a moment, smiles, and then continues on with her lesson. 

“I’m pretty sure she has better hearing that most people, at least from what I saw yesterday.” I say quietly, and Sala gives me a frightened look. I smile. “I’ll help.” 

Sala relaxes, and we go back to our lesson plan. Once the new material is covered, we have 10 minutes till the bell to work on exercises. I shift my chair and Sala and I work on them together without her asking. Her thankful smile was all I needed to know that I made a new friend. 

As the bell rings, Cassandra calls me forward before I leave. “Careful of the Fae, Sala may seem vulnerable, but they can be mischievous.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.” I smile. 

Lunch time and Sala was waiting, and joins me as we head to the cafeteria on the first floor. She’s very talkative and animately discusses about how warm it is and how she’s looking forward to colder weather. 

“You’re a Frost Fae, aren’t you?” I say catching on to her conversation. 

“How did you know?” she says, surprised. 

“Ice-blue eyes, near white hair, your wings, you tuck them around you like a pretty vest.” I say. 

“But how do you know? Did the Seelie Court send you to spy on me? Is that why your aura and race are hidden?” 

I catch on to what she’s talking about; I read this in my role-playing games. “You’re a princess of the court, but you don’t want others to know that.” I respond in a low voice. I see her eyes flare, _oh dear_. “No one sent me, I study lore and mystical creatures, I’m actually mostly human right now.” 

“There you are.” Luna says with a smile. 

Whatever Sala was going to do next, her expression immediately changes, she gives Luna this panicked look and hugs against the wall. Luna is not phased by my companion’s reactions, as I’m her target, she pulls me into a warm hug and I relax in her arms. 

“So how has this morning been so far?” Luna asks when she finally lets me go. 

“Well, I’ve only had one class so far after taking care of all the paperwork.” I smile. “And Cassandra is my math teacher, so it was nice to see a familiar face.” My expression changes. “Oh, and I made a new friend today!” I look around and see Sala slowly trying to slink away out of Luna’s reach. “Sala, don’t be shy, I want you to meet someone.” Sala gives this almost frightful glance at Luna. “Please, Sala, she won’t harm you.” I reach out my hand away from Luna. 

Sala gives one look at Luna, then at me. My face is that of sincerity. Sala suddenly reaches out for my hand and, surprisingly, pulls herself against me, pulling my arm around her for protection. I was not prepared for that level of trust and need for affection.

“The Fae senses I’m a hunter. Her reaction to my presence is perfectly normal.” Luna says sadly. “My family do not prey on the living, girl.” She says looking at Sala.

Sala does the weirdest thing. She sniffs at Luna, and then relaxes, but still keeps her arm around me. “You know a vampire, and you’re not afraid of her?” Sala looks up at me, amazed. 

“Luna and I met in the woods this weekend. She most likely saved me from hypothermia.” I say calmly. “Her and her family have been taking care of me since.” I nudge Sala to move and we walk again. 

“Why are they taking care of you? You’re human.” she says, drawing her hand along my arm as if examining my body. 

“I’m a transgender girl and ran away from home.” I say to her. 

We get in line for the cafeteria food. Sala finally lets her hold on me go. “So that is why you use female pronouns, and while you act and dress like a girl, you don’t really smell like one?” Sala says. I guess - as a Fae - her sense of smell is much more acute than mine. 

“Depending on the transition route she follows, that will soon change.” Luna says calmly as she orders hers and my plates of grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. 

Sala takes a salad and follows. We find an empty table, and my little Fae still doesn't seem to want to leave my side. 

“What did you choose for a name?” Luna asks as we eat. 

“Simiathlas Rasmussen.” I say, looking at Luna for a reaction. 

“So, you’ve chosen Mother as your surrogate parent? I think it would honour her.” Luna smiles. “You are very much a New Leaf in this life I’ve dragged you into, I would say the name is quite fitting.” 

“So you don’t think it would upset her I’ve basically asked to be adopted by your family?” I ask, still worried. 

“Not at all”, she smiles, eating her sandwich. She looks at it for a moment and relaxes. “Good, this is the one that doesn’t have ham in it.” She pulls out a small container of plasma fruit from her bag and puts it on the table. 

“You’re a vegetarian.” Sala notes that there is no meat on either of our trays. “How do you subsist without feeding on the living?” 

Luna taps her container. “The plasma fruit fills my thirst so that I don’t need to feed on others. Makes my family much more civilized.” She grins. She studies Sala for a moment, noting the Fae is still sitting closer to me than her. “You’ve grown rather attached to your new human friend, surprising for a Fae.” 

Sala looks at her, then at me, her expression is that of tenderness and even affection. “I don’t know, Simia sat beside me in Math class, and I just felt myself drawn to her.”

“Must be your Elven bloodline,” Luna ponders. “As a creature of sylvan blood, the Fae and the Elves are distant relatives of sorts. You are probably the only creature in her class that approaches her bloodline and feels familiar.”

Sala nods. “I’m the only Fae in our Freshman class.” She eats some salad. “My parents thought a public education would help broaden my knowledge of the races outside of the Seelie Court.”

“Very brave of them to send a noble among the general populace.” Luna looks thoughtful. “They must really trust this school to leave you so open and vulnerable without protection.” 

“I have protection.” Sala says tapping her medallion. “The protection charm is supposed to ward harmful intent and magic.” She munches on her salad. “Which is why I was so confused when you approached, I feared the amulet had failed me again.” 

“What do you mean failed you again?” I say, munching on my sandwich. 

“One of our teachers, the charm doesn’t warn me.” Sala says, frowning. “Art and Music… She smells like Luna, but my charm never triggers. Only Master Phan does my charm grow warm and I can’t seem to get close to him.” 

Luna opens her container and Sala takes a long sniff. “Oh. That’s the sweet smell that you all have.” My Fae friend relaxes. “So, when I smell that fruit on others, I can relax and know you are not a threat?”

“Exactly.” There are two families here at the school that rely on plasma fruit to survive, so that we never need to prey on others for survival. My bloodline and the Rivers family are Faetouched, but follow a similar path.”

“Is that why Art and Music are so comforting?” Sala smiles thoughtfully. “Mrs. Rivers is so pretty with porcelain skin and purple hair. I’ve felt no threat from her.”

“Faetouched vampires? That must be interesting..” I say.

Sala suddenly gets confused. “Are they all vampires? I’m pretty sure that my Social Studies teacher is human, she’s a mage from her aura - and they’re married.”

Luna replies, “Mother says that the Rivers family is rather unique and extremely powerful. They even made this history books by destroying most of the vampire enclave 5 years ago.” 

“Penny is funny and lively.” Sala says with a smile. “She doesn’t want us using her surname. We’re all surprised when she started teaching here. I mean, she’s this big celebrity, she doesn’t even need to work.” 

“Penny once told me she loves children, which is why she chose to teach - having no children of her own.” Luna smiles. 

We fill our lunchtime conversation with the various interesting teachers and people that go to this school. I feel my knowledge of mystical creatures as expanded today, it’s one thing reading about them in books, but when you see how they interact with others in real life, you realize that some facts in fantasy books are exaggerated - or maybe no longer apply to modern life. I tell my friends, yes; I think it’s safe to call Sala a friend, that I need to pick up my school Id on the way to Biology class.

We say bye to Luna as Sala comes with me to the office to pick up my ID. Biology gives me another familiar face: Diane smiles at me and greets me with a hug - which I’m sure surprised half of the class. I sit beside Sala and hope I’m not behind on this class. Changing schools two months into the year is not a simple process. Today we’re studying food pyramids that include races I’ve never encountered before. I discover humans aren’t the top of the food chain. With vampires and werewolves being stronger, faster, they will feed off of humanity when needed. _That’s a scary thought._

Sala comments she has a different class next period, and will see me for Social Studies. I’ve noticed she’s created a nickname for me and calls me Simia. I think it’s rather cute. I’m still confused how this little girl has suddenly latched on to me. Maybe Luna is right, my Elven bloodline is the first familiar thing she’s felt since she arrived here. I get up to the third floor; I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this school has a greenhouse classroom.

I get to my botany class; I was a little miffed that I wouldn’t have art all semester, but I guess learning about plants will not be a bad thing. This school has the weirdest subjects. I slip into class, hoping the teacher will not do a class introduction like Cassandra did, and find a seat along the wall. The teacher has his back to the class, and he’s writing stuff on the board. I can’t shake this feeling I’ve seen him before… tall, broad shoulders, trench coat. Then he turns and I recognize him right away. The crimson undertone to his grey eyes and that fanged grin… I had bumped into him at the club on Saturday night. 

He looks over the class, picks up a book. “Suni, pass this down to the new student three seats behind you.” The girl passes the book down. “You’ve missed the past 6 weeks of this class, do you know anything about herbal remedies that grow in this climate?” 

“I spent four years in Llama scouts, I learned about how to use plants for food, and how to make salves to deal with burns, rashes & bug bites.” I venture. 

“Impressive, so you will catch up well with this class.” He smiles, that fanged smile that spooked me out so much that night. “You will have reading to do so that you are ready with the others for Friday’s test.” 

It was a statement, not a question. “Yes, sir.” I reply and nod. 

He tells us about the various plants that grow in this area, what they look like, what parts are useful, what parts are toxic, he draws impeccably realistic pictures on the blackboard, quickly, not even looking at the book for reference - like he’s memorized the entirety of it. For all I know… I look at the author of the book. Right, he wrote it. No wonder he knows what’s in there.   
I follow with the class, catching up on things as I go, the book is old, just how long as this vampire lived!? He occasionally quizzes various students as he progresses. I actually find this quite interesting. He’s stern and factual, but he’s not mean or cruel. He even cracks a couple of jokes. 

At the end of class, he calls me to his desk. “You don’t look like a Rasmussen.” He says raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s complicated.” I say hesitantly. 

“So is your aura.” He says examining me. “So, unlike some of my more mundane students, you might show promise in some of my later classes when we make more than just native salves and simple medicines.” 

“I will not disappoint you.” I say showing more confidence than I feel. _A Lama scout is always prepared._

“You are intriguing.” He says studying me for a moment. “I can see why Luna is attracted to you.” I give him a puzzled look. “Do not think that I did not notice you at the club Saturday night, your aura has strengthened since then, I look forward to seeing what you can achieve, young lady.” I swallow. “You are dismissed, be swift to get to your next class.” I bow slightly, noting his oriental accent, and head off. 

Fortunately Social Studies are on the same floor, so I make my way to room 308, and an ecstatic Sala waves to me as I enter the room. 

“Before you sit down, will you introduce yourself?” The woman at the desk says. “This is Social Studies, we learn from each other’s unique past and cultures.” 

“Yes, mrs….” I start. 

“Penny, just call me Penny dear, I don’t like formal tittles.” She smiles. 

I nod and stand in front of the class. “My name is Simiathlas, I’m a transgender girl, some of you might recognize my name as Elvish, part of my coming here is to reconnect with my bloodline… among other things.” I don’t know why I’m being so forthcoming. Keven had told me never to openly admit that I’m trans, but Penny encouraged me to introduce myself and I have no other idea what to say. “I’m sort of handy with a lot of things. I come from a Celtic background, my family has lived here for the past 5 generations. I’ve recently moved here from San Myshuno and trying to settle in.” 

“Thank you dear, you may sit down by our very excitable Sala - who seems to look forward to it.” Penny smiles knowingly. 

Sure enough, Sala leans over and gives me a hug as I sit beside her. 

“It’s interesting that Simiathlas mentioned Elven heritage. We’re going to have a bit of a history lesson today. Who can tell me when the elves were last recorded to be seen outside of Tír na nÓg?” Penny asks. 

I listen in rapture as I learn about my history, a history I never knew even existed. The boy in front of me smiles at me as he hands me the book we’re studying this week, and it has a historic timeline I’ve never seen. Like how the inquisition completely erased all transcripts of elves and their magic from history, only for oral traditional to bring it back to life during the Victorian age where it could be passed off as fiction or fantasy. 

I flip through the book of Elven Chronicles. To think that some old tales like Arthur, Merlin and Camelot actually existed. Though the book differs from some tales, I’ve read. How, without the Elven Laws of Magic, humans began warring against each other, forming light and dark schools of arcana. How the Romans slowly erased Druidism and killing all elves they could find. 

Humanity would slowly erase or out-breed the elves till there was no longer a trace of them when people ventured from the old world to the west. My attention is drawn back to the topic at hand before I can read further, and I go back to the front of the book on the original discovery of Tír na nÓg. 

“Mother says some Seelie Court still live there, but they hide behind illusions that appear as dense wood - so that the humans don’t find them.” Sala says as we exit class. 

“The haunted wood of Sherwood Forest, I saw that in the book.” I smile. 

“You read quick.” Sala says, surprised by my advanced reading. “Where do you live, Simia?” She asks curiously. 

"Currently with Luna and her mother, till we sort out my transition and how I’m going to move forward." I reply. 

“It doesn’t scare you to live with a vampire family?” Sala says still amazed that Luna doesn’t faze me. 

“I can trust them.” I say confidently. 

“Which is a good thing, cause I think I would miss you now if you were to leave.” Luna says hugging me from behind. Sala jumps as I relax into my Drow friend. “Ready to go home?” She asks in a slight seductive tone. I nod. “Say bye to Sala.” She says sweetly.

“Bye Sala, see you tomorrow.” I smile at my fae friend. 

“ _Lelyana bar_ ” Luna says, and the school disappears. 


	8. After School

We suddenly appear in Luna’s house and she lets go of me. 

I turn and face Luna. “You don’t like Sala, do you?” 

“I don’t trust Sala, she’s Fae, they are manipulative and mischievous. That she latched on to you so affectionately so quickly worries me.” Luna says softly. Her hand comes up and caresses my cheek. “I’m just trying to protect you.” 

“So, that wasn’t jealously I felt just then.” I say teasing my friend. 

Luna puts her arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. “I would be lieing if I said I felt nothing for you. But if you are to accept mother’s blood, we will become sisters. A romantic relationship between us would be unwise.” I relax in her arms she smells so nice, I wish there could be more between us. “So I will love you in other ways.” She finishes.

“How did your first day go?” Ashanna’s voice breaks our tender moment, Luna lets go of me so I can turn around. 

“I met a few of my teachers, and I made a new friend today.” I smile, turning to speak to Ashanna. 

“So, are you going by your legal name in school?” Ashanna inquires with a bit of concern. 

“No, Rose said it would be unwise, till she can file emancipation papers and legally remove my parents’ rights to control my life. So I chose a more female name and even changing my last name.” I start, I pull out my school ID and show it to her. 

“Simiathlas Rasmussen.” Ashanna reads, and she quirks an eyebrow. “You are that comfortable in my care that you chose me, as your adoptive mother?” 

“You’re not upset, are you?” I’m worried now, I know Luna said her mother wouldn’t mind, but I still need to hear it from her. 

“I’m honoured that you want to be part of this family.” She smiles and pulls me in for a hug. “My little New Leaf has started a new life outside of their human comfort and has embraced it. I am happy that you feel safe and welcome here.” 

“Hantalëcin Emmenya.” Thanking my new mother, time to practice my elvish if I’m going to become one. 

Ashanna lets go of me and looks down at me proudly. “I have a feeling you will do great things in this family. But lets not rush your transition, there is much to prepare for the ritual.” She holds me by the shoulders. “Do you have many lessons to finish?” 

“I brought some homework,” I nod. “There’s an entire history that I need to relearn. And there are things in my herbalism book that I’ve not seen before.” 

“You are a very studious child.” Ashanna smiles. 

“Well, when you don’t have many friends, you apply your energy where it can be useful.” I say sadly. 

Ashanna gently cups my chin, making me look at her face. “Do not be ashamed of your talents, child. You are very smart, be proud of your achievements.”

“Okay.” I smile. 

“Now off you go, supper will be ready in an hour.” Ashanna smiles. 

I nod, grab my backpack, and head upstairs. Luna has set up a desk facing hers in the bedroom. I guess I could call this our bedroom now. She’s working on the computer with a schoolbook in her lap. I pull out my books and start working on my lessons. 

“I’m a sophomore now, so - if you have questions - just ask, I can help.” Luna says without looking up from her work. 

“So, do you go up in grades as fast as normal students do?” I ask, as I open my history book. 

“No, I’ve decided to take a different approach to learning.” Luna smiles. “This year I’m taking standard academic courses, like you would have learned in the city.” She starts. “Next year will be devoted to magic and sorcery, followed by another year of alchemy and botany.” She looks up from her computer. “There is so much to learn outside of what you have seen in school nettinya, once you gain a longer lifespan, you may want to do the same. There is no rush growing up when one can experience millennia compare to a human century.” 

“That’s an interesting way of looking at it.” I say thoughtfully. “Calling me your sister already, are you?” I say as my mind translated ‘nettinya’ as ‘my sister’.

“Whether it be by blood, or simply by name. You have chosen to become a Rasmussen, so you are going to be my sister one way or another.” Luna smiles affectionately. “Are you okay with my calling you such?” 

“I find it rather comforting, actually.” I smile. “I’ve never had a sibling before.” 

“The moment I saw you in the woods, I knew we would share a bond, becoming family explains our connection.” She smiles that lovely smile of hers. 

I actually don’t find her fanged smile threatening anymore. I break away from her loving eyes. I have to remind myself that we’re going to be family now, and I shouldn’t fall in love with my sister the way my heart is yearning. I get my head out of those thoughts and focus on my social sciences book. While studying Elven society is more of a history lesson. If I am going to learn of my people, I need to see how they lived to understand more how I will grow myself, as a person. Funny that my ancient ancestor was a druid, my mother always said I had a green thumb and a way with animals that was uncanny. Maybe it’s always been in my nature, but has been dormant?

Once I’m done with the book, I pull out my laptop, and start searching for current druid societies and practises. I know that neo-druidism will differ from my Elven heritage, but I feel I need to find a way to reconnect with who I really should be. While there are druid orders still in the old world, the closest group I found here calls itself The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. Hmm.. Here’s a good start.

Shadow comes up and mreows at me. I turn and pick her up. “What is is my dear, is supper ready?” She rubs up against my face and mroews again. Ashanna calls up for us as I’m getting up. I put the cat down and she guides us downstairs. 

“How did you know?” Luna asks, looking at me. 

“I have a connection with animals.” I smile. “It’s as if I understand what they want.”

“You said your ancestor was a druid, correct?” Luna asks and I nod. “Perhaps you have always had that in you, and it now slowly re-awakening.” 

“That would be interesting. I noticed how the cat was very much attached to Cassandra.” I smile. 

“Cassandra found a stray cat that was pregnant 5 years ago.” Luna says as we walk down the stairs. “They took the cat in and raised the kittens. The Montgomery family kept the mother and one kitten, giving away the other three. Soon as Ungo was old enough, we adopted her.” We enter the kitchen. “Cassandra is a witch, like druids, they naturally draw animals to them as familiars or companions.” 

“Do you think I will be strong like you or them?” I ask curiously. 

“Well, if you chose the path of transition, it is unlikely you will grow much stronger than you are now.” Ashanna replies sadly. “It is why I would lean towards transformation if it is an option. I would still like to see if there is an option to find an elf, to no inherit my family’s vampiric curse.”

“Our world couldn’t be the only realm that held elves, is there a way to reach one somewhere else?” I say thoughtfully, settling in my chair. 

“That would be your role-playing game knowledge kicking in. You are hoping there are other planes of existence?” Ashanna smiles. 

“Well, is it possible?” I ask again. 

“There might be ways. We’ll need to talk to Penny & Melody Rivers, they might know of a way. They are only the mages I trust. If there is a means to reach your Elven kin that no longer reside on the mortal plane, they may know of a way.” Ashanna replies. 

We dig into our supper. Ashanna made a creamy Alfredo sauce over noodles. I can taste mushrooms and onions and garlic… I suddenly look up surprised. “You can eat garlic!?”

“It takes some effort, but yes, there are vampires who are resistant to pain of garlic. We require it for some of our tonics.” Ashanna replies. 

“Would anyone in the school be able to help?” I ask between bites of creamy noodles. 

“I would like to keep our enquiries to people I trust.” Ashanna replies. “Mélodie de La Rivière is not native to this plane, her aura is not fully human. If anyone knows of outer realms, it will be the Rivers, and I trust them.”

“Sala finds her presence comforting, which would lead me to suspect that Mrs. Rivers has some measure of fey blood.” I reply thoughtfully. 

“You are very versed in paranormal creatures for a human, are you sure you’ve not studied outside of your kind?” Ashanna looks at me in wonder. 

“I spend a lot of time looking online for mystical creatures and interesting lore to build this campaign setting I was going to run Kevin and a couple of the girls through.” I reply. 

“Leave it to a geek to find out about the mysteries of the universe without realizing it.” Luna smiles and giggles. “It would explain how everything that’s happened these past three days hasn’t totally freaked you out,”

“Part of my mind feels like I’m playing a fantasy game, and I’m in gamer mode - trying to absorb and learn everything I can, to solve any puzzle that might be thrown at me.” I say thoughtfully.

“At least you are keeping an open mind.” Ashanna smiles. “You are being very brave.” 

Speaking of brave… “Can I… try a bit more of the plasma fruit?” I ask hesitantly. “The last piece didn’t hurt me at all.”

“No, it didn’t, which concerns me, but so has your aura strengthened. It is possible that your body is metabolizing it somehow…” Ashanna looks thoughtful.

“Emmya, how much is safe to consume?” Luna asks. 

“Anything more than a segment or small slice could be fatal, but lets try something twice the size of the last one.” Ashanna says hesitantly. I can understand her worry to not hurt me. 

She gives me a thumb thick slice of a section of fruit I poke it with my fork and pop it into my mouth without hesitation. The plasma fruit still tastes horrible, so I chew it quick and swallow. I’m reaching for my glass of juice to wash it down when the room suddenly starts spinning and I fall off the stool. Luna is quicker than her mother to move and catch me before I hit the floor. 

I don’t know how long I fell unconscious for, but I feel... different when I open my eyes. Luna and her mother are looking down at me, I’m laying on… a couch? 

“ _Ando pantaren yassen, ramba neaya tarnë_ ,” I say as I open my eyes. 

“Did you see that? Her eyes were green for a moment!” Luna says surprised caressing my cheek I can feel the worry from her. _Wait, how can I feel her emotions?_

“How do you feel, child?” Ashanna asks with gentle worry. 

I frown, and my head aches. “Oh! That might have been too much at once.” I groan. 

“You are still pale, are you thirsty?” Ashanna asks in a motherly tone. And I nod. 

Luna comes back with a glass of water and a straw. I take the straw and suck back some water. Oh, that feels better… I smile. “Some colour is returning to her face.” Luna says.

“ _I am sorry I took too long to absorb the blood fruit my child, I tried to cast an anti-toxin as fast as I could to lessen the poisons, but it’s not working. Before the next step you will need a few days to recover, please do not eat any more of that fruit - for your sake_.” The voice of Lairelindë speaks in my mind. 

“Her aura is much stronger now, and your hands glowed for a moment, to stabilize your body. How did you do that my child?” Ashanna looks at me with grave concern. 

“My fore-mother Lairelindë said she tried to cast an anti-toxin to clear the poisons from the plasma fruit.” I say weakly. 

“The elf from your dreams?” Luna says, remembering the name. “The one who gave you your name, she just spoke to you?” 

I nod slowly, not wanting to jar my head too quickly. 

“A gate opens where a wall once stood…” Ashanna says thoughtfully. “That is what you said when you opened your eyes, do you know what that means?” 

“That my ancestor has found more than a window into my dreams?” I say as the only explanation how she just spoke to me now, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t dreaming just then. 

Suddenly my head fills with Elven song, words, spells, it’s almost too much information all at once. “Aini-Emmenya, no! That is too much!” I groan. 

“Simia, what’s wrong?” Luna says in a panic. 

I relax as the information trickles down to something I can start seeing. “My ancestor is feeding me the millennia of information that she knew when she was alive, all at once! It was a little too much.” I sigh as I can see words and images flash by my eyes like memories. 

Ashanna sits up. “The druid is using blood magic to pull herself out of the Dream.” I should have known that’s why you were craving the plasma fruit…”

I lay there thoughtfully for a moment as I feel a confirmation through my mind. “Yes. Though even she admits that my body can’t take anymore of the fruit for several days before it’s safe again to try further.” 

“What is she trying to prove by nearly killing you!?” Ashanna gets annoyed. 

“She… wants.. To be… a caster in the ritual of transformation… and not just a passenger in my… Ascension?” I say as I’m trying to translate what Lairelindë is feeding me.

“So now she’s a passenger in your mind, will she take control of your body?” Ashanna looks at me concerned. 

“No.” I say with conviction. “She can only see through my eyes and speak to me, she can’t make me speak or move against my will.” I reply. I blink and gasp. “She’s teaching me spells! So much knowledge! Aini-Emmenya, I don’t think I can cast half of what you are showing me!” I say as I see her spell book through my mind, like I’ve written these spells myself!

“Athelas.” I say with a moan as my stomach knots. The women look at me confused. “Kingsfoil, Royal Herb. I look through Lairelindë’s memories of herbs. Basil, would work.” 

“I know where it is.” Luna says and runs into the atrium to get some from the greenhouse. She comes back a moment with a few leaves. “Whatever do you need this for?” she asks, confused. 

I can see the spell in my head, Lairelindë tried an anti-toxin spell, but was missing the spell component. I crunch the leaves in my hands, bruising them, I lift my shirt and place the leaves on my stomach where it's cramping with the poison.

“ _envinyatasina hora sangwa_.” I cast the spell to heal my body of the poisons and take a deep breath as the pain goes away. “Much better.” I smile, “Thank you for that spell.” I say out loud.

“Amazing.” Ashanna looks at what I just did. She reaches over. “The fever is receding, and your colour is returning to normal. Do you feel any more pain?” 

“Just a light ache for how long it took to treat it.” I sigh. “I feel like I know so much more now! I know all these healing and plant spells, like I’ve known them for years!” 

“Careful Simia, you don’t know if what she is feeding you is correct.” Ashanna warns me. 

“What would she gain in misleading me?” I ask, besides, it’s as if I’m looking at her spell book. Like her eyes are now my eyes. What she’s seen, I’ve seen, heard, smelt, felt… it’s amazing!”

“Her eyes have a green tinge to them.” Luna says, looking at my face. 

“Do you think they’ll stay like that?” I say curiously. 

“Hard to tell, but your aura is definitely that of a druid now: a green thread weaves through your body, streaked with brown and turquoise, it’s beautiful!” Ashanna says looking past me. “But we’ll take this slowly now yeldenya, I have a right to protect you from what this is developing if I need to." 

I take a moment to argue with Lairelindë about how I see Ashanna as my mother and so she has maternal rights over my god-mother, and I nod. “She agrees. You have the final say as to my care.” 

“You call Lairelindë, Aini-Emmenya,” Luna says thoughtfully. 

“My God-Mother sounds better than constantly calling her my ancestor.” I smile. 

“As long as your godmother doesn’t override my authority, then I think we can manage having her in your head. It might help you learn more about your Elven heritage, as you get first-hand historical knowledge from her.” Ashanna smiles. 

“I think I’m ready for bed now. That took a lot out of me.” Does my voice sound as tired as I feel?

Luna helps me to my feet, I’m still a little dizzy and off-balance. My sister helps me upstairs to the bedroom and helps me get undressed. Somehow I don’t feel embarrassed being beside her in only underwear. She hands me a night shirt it feels so comfortably feminine and smells like Luna I hug it to my body, taking a deep breath and smile. 

“Thank you.” I smile. “For everything.” 

Luna kisses me on the forehead and smiles. “Sleep well nettinya, I will be close if you need me.”

“Okay, love you” I say happily. 

“Love you too.” She smiles and caresses my cheek before going back to her computer. 


	9. There Once was an Elf

I wake up in the morning feeling much better, and very thirsty. I get up out of bed and pad over into the bathroom and get some water. I look into the mirror, and see the green ring in the middle of my blue eyes. I guess that is permanent. 

I wash my face and when I look back at the mirror I see Lairelindë just off my shoulder and try not to jump. “You’re not actually there, are you? You’re using the mirror to project yourself?”

“Very acute Indyonya, I must say, I was expecting you to jump at seeing my image. But with all that you have been exposed to lately, you are very brave.” I can hear her voice in my mind, not behind me.

“Why are you doing this?” I frown. 

“I have been trapped in the dream for millenia child. My bones are beyond dust, I have no body to return to, but you have potential.” I look unimpressed. “You are asking why you? Why now? You are coming of age, and you are the first of my bloodline in centuries to show potential, I couldn’t just leave your gift go to waste. You want change, I can provide you change.” 

“And for what price?” I ask suspiciously. 

“Your price is my servitude, I am tied to you. Even when I am fully free of the Dream I will have no body to contain my will. I will be but a fairë. I will need your body as an anchor to not fade into the Ether.” She replies. 

“How is that better than living in the Dream?” I frown. 

“Through you, I can see the world again. I can guide you down the Druid path. Teach you lost lore, and abilities that have been forgotten. If, in you, we can reawaken the Elven race, it was a risk I needed to take.” Her voice is sincere, almost pleading.

Luna enters the bedroom, I hadn’t closed the bathroom door.“Who are you talking to Simia? We need to get ready for school. There is breakfast downstairs and tea to help settle your stomach.”

“Aini-Emmenya can project her image on reflective surfaces, though I suppose you can’t see her and it still looks like I’m talking to myself.” I turn to look at Luna. 

Luna gives me a sympathetic look, wanting to understand what I’m going through, but unable. “Emmya ordered some clothing in your size, in the meantime, I found some of my older clothing that should fit you. They are a lot more feminine than what you wore yesterday, but the school knows that you are transitioning. So, I’ll see what I can do for makeup before we leave.” Luna’s smile is radiant this morning and my heart melts. No, stop falling in love with your sister! I say to myself. “Oh, and I washed the cycle outfit you wore that first day, you will need that for gym.”

“Okay. Thank you.” I smile back and go to the chair beside the bed. 

Luna goes downstairs while I change and I come down feeling very feminine in the black sweater and skirt that she had left for me. The shoes she left me are a bit small, but aren’t uncomfortable. As requested I packed my cycle gear, and sneakers, into my backpack for gym. 

Breakfast is something: simple yogurt with a muffin, while Luna has more plasma fruit salad. Once we’re done eating, Luna fusses with some eyeliner, green eye shadow and lip stain to give me a more feminine look. She finishes by painting my nails before we head off to school. 

I meet Sala in homeroom and she says I smell different today, more earthy, and lavender. I blame the lavender on Luna’s soap and smile. 

First class is gym, and Rose asks me to change in the single use washroom in the coach’s office, she assures me I don’t want to be stuck changing with the boys in that skirt. She tells me about tucking, so I don’t have a lump in my shorts, it’ll help me look more feminine. She has us run around the gym to warm up before starting on volleyball. I do my best, but sports really aren’t my thing. Rose is very fit and strong for a woman, I wonder how often she works out to keep her shape. 

I discover that Penny is also my Language Arts teacher and, today, we’re doing Literature. Fortunately they are studying the same book that I was in school, so I’m not behind in my reading studies, and it’s quick to plunk myself into where they are. 

Sala is never far away from me, and I’ve even gotten to know a few of her friends. Lynn, Ginette and Sam. They are a bit standoffish at first and I tell them I’ll explain more about myself during lunch as we make our way to Math class. 

Come lunchtime, Luna is surprised to see me seated with 4 other girls, and asks if she can sit with us. I explain to my new friends that I’m starting my transition, and one of my options is reconnecting with my Elven heritage. 

“So that’s why you picked New Leaf as your name?” Ginette asks. 

“It is.” I smile. 

Sala has been quiet for a moment, and finally blurts out. “You did something with your eyes today, and it’s not just the makeup.” 

I nod thoughtfully, how do I explain this, so I use the best explanation I have. “It’s part of the process I’m going through, it’s slowly changing my body.” 

I still don’t have the other girls convinced that I’m transgender, but Lynn and Sam look like they won’t argue with Sala, who seems to be very much infatuated with me - though I still can’t figure out why.

Today’s science class is chemistry and I find that I’m a little behind on the subject matter. Dee is patient with me as Lynn helps me catch up. My teacher is impressed by how fast I catch on, allowing the girls to help Sala. 

Art class I meet Melody Rivers. She is beyond beautiful, with ivory skin, long wavy purple hair and amethyst eyes. She has the same scent around her as my adopted family, so I have to remind myself that it’s the fruit that makes her alluring, and not fall under it’s influence. She has me start on some basic shapes as the class is currently working on a some sort of papier maché project. This gives her a chance to see my art skill level and to tailor a program to fit my talents. She’s impressed by my use of texture and shading. She looks at me for a moment, as we’re finishing up class. 

“I want you to stay past the bell, do not worry about History class, I will let Master Phan know why you are absent, he will make an exception for me.” She says in a quiet provocative tone. Her voice is low, not even Sala hears her request.

I say goodbye to Sala and her friends, she doesn’t have history next period, so I won’t see her again till tomorrow. Once the class is empty she closes the door. 

“My little Winter Fae seems quite fond of you, and I can see why. I have never seen a druid of your potential at such a young age, you must be of Elven blood….” She looks closely at my eyes, “or have a mentor of Elven blood.” 

She takes a step back and mumbles something in a language I’ve not heard, I feel a strange pull, and a moment of dizziness when suddenly a transparent version of Lairelindë is standing beside me. 

“What is this?!” my godmother exclaims. 

“A simple manifestation spell, you are still bound to her luv, but I thought it easier to talk to you without having to use our darling Simiathlas here as a translator.” Mrs Rivers smiles. 

My vision shifts and I see all sorts of swirling colours around my teacher, mostly dark purple, and black. “I will teach you how to read the aura later indyonya,” she says to me, then turns to Mrs. Rivers. “You have the most interesting combination of powers - for an art teacher.” Lairelindë says in a sarcastic tone. 

“Yes I am both vampire and of Fae blood if that is what you are implying.” Mrs. Rivers responds. “I guess there is no hiding what I am from an arch-druid. You are amazingly powerful, do you intend to make our young Ms. Rasmussen your next in line?” 

“If we can find an Elven host to provide the blood I need for the spell, yes.” Lairelindë responds. 

“Elven blood?” Mrs. Rivers raises and eyebrow. 

“Well, it is either that or use her adoptive mother’s blood cursing her to a vampiric drow existence, which would you prefer?” Lairelindë frowns. 

“You know, being a vampire does not have to be a curse. I have learned to quell the beast within, and be beneficial to humankind.” She looks thoughtful for a moment. “Is it because the true druid ability is tied to your elven bloodline? She is only powerful as she is right now as you are tied to her essence…” Mrs. Rivers replies pacing the room thoughtfully. 

“You’re quite observant, for a teacher…” Lairelindë digs. 

“When you have been around for five centuries, you learn a thing or two.” Mrs. Rivers gives a sly smile. “I have not always been a teacher. I have been an artist, a singer, a performer, a countess, and a representative of the Earthen Realm on the council of high magi.” She says pacing slowly. “My wife is a witch with druid abilities. If it is an elf you want, then there are elves within a breath from the Realm of Magic that we can reach.”

“I would rather us not have to shift to another plane for this.” Lairelindë looks worried. “My power has always been bound to this realm, I do not know what leaving the mortal coil would do to us.”

“You are one of the original elves of the Tir!” Mrs. Rivers gasps. “My lady, it is an honour to make your acquaintance.” And she bows in front of my ghostly godmother. “It would explain your slight rudeness towards me, rest assured my Fae bloodline is not from this world.”

“Are Fae that different in other realms?” My godmother walks around my teacher examining her. Again my vision shifts, showing me swirling colours that confuse me. Mrs. Rivers is infused with black, gray, silver, purple, red and brown. 

Mrs. Rivers giggles. “I suppose we are not. My earliest studies were in manipulation and force magic. The grotto Fae of my home realm are powerful in elemental and arcane powers.” She looks thoughtful. “There is an elf that roams a realms. A bardic chronicler, Lyric Eversong. My good friend Angel Goodson could reach out to her. I am unsure how long it would take her to respond. “

“Angel Goodson?” I gasp. “THE Angel Goodson!? Celebrity entertainer, world champion gamer, and heiress to Goodson Beverage Co.?” I say all excitedly. 

“I think we have a fan.” Mrs. Rivers smiles and chuckles, making me blush. “I am not of any small repute myself child.” Mrs. Rivers reminds me. 

“Sorry, yes, I know how you and Penny are celebrities and many students often wonder why you are teaching when you could easily be enjoying a comfortable life.” 

“I do not teach for the money Luv.” She smiles. “There comes a time when the lifestyle of the rich and famous becomes dull and tedious, having to keep up with appearances and all.” She sighs. “No, I have had enough of that life. Inspiring generations of aspiring artists to reach the fame I have experienced time and again in my life. That is the payment I look for in what I am doing here.” 

“Fame brings attention.” Lairelindë comments. “And attention brings questions on where you come from and why you don’t appear to age.” 

“You caught me at my game.” Mrs. Rivers smiles. “Yes, one can only live so long in the limelight before one needs to fade away from high society. I’ve played this game for centuries. I found that I can only stay popular for about a decade, then the questions start. It is best to wait a generation and start anew. Humans have such short memories.”

“So long as you can gain enough wealth to live outside of society for four to five decades.” Lairelindë catches on. “Clever, something that my child will have to learn, for - drow or elf - she will live many human generations.”

“She has already taken the first step. Choosing the Rasmussen as her adopted family, she will have the protection and wealth she needs to live a long and fruitful life.” Mrs. Rivers smiles. “Did you know what you were embracing when you chose that last name?” she asks, looking at me. 

“It was more of a feeling. I felt safe with Luna and her mother. I somehow knew that they would take care of me.” I reply. 

“Ah. It was Luna was it?” She probes and I blush. “Yes, she is exotically beautiful and alluring, though you really should try not to fall in love with your new sister. At least, not in that sense.” 

“Was my comment that obvious?” My blush deepens. 

“Yes, but it is not a course you can follow. I ask that you stick with our young little Sala. She is growing quite fond of you. She is no older than you. She will need your protection and care. She is vulnerable in our world, that charm she wears on her neck, is not as powerful as she thinks.” Mrs. Rivers says in a motherly tone. 

“Sala latched on to me yesterday.” I say thoughtfully. “Luna thinks it is my elven bloodline, sylvan creatures and elves are distant relatives. I feel comforting to her with what I am.” 

“You are very observant for such a young human, I believe your elder godmother may have been seeding your dreams.” She says with a smile. 

“She needed to be prepared for what was to come.” Lairelindë nods. 

“And what if she had not run away from home?” Mrs. Rivers looks at my godmother. “Much of her future depends on this transformation. Were she still living under her unforgiving parents’ roof, you would not have had this opportunity. Who knows how many other generations you would have needed to wait for a chance like this to arise again.” 

Mrs. Rivers seems to know a lot about my situation. Did Rose reach out to her, or am I the gossip of the school’s staff?

“I have waited over a thousand years, and would wait a thousand more if needed.” Lairelindë answers. “She is still young, and I could have waited a bit more, but transition may have hampered her transformation, I needed her to know there was other options besides medicines for her to rise to womanhood.”

“How long have you been lurking in her dreams?” Mrs. Rivers frowns. 

“Since birth, but it was not till the past two years that I felt the shift I was looking for.” My godmother answers without hesitation. 

“Which is when I started having my transformation dreams. You didn’t start them did you?” I look at Lairelindë accusingly. 

“I did not start them child, I did start hinting at magical transformation this past year in them though. You have always felt at odds with your body. You were never a boy. I merely hinted that you need not be trapped in that shell all your life. With your ascendance as as elven maiden, you will find the true power of your druid ancestry. It is my hope to bring some of our wayward people back home and restart our society anew.” Her tone is sincere and I can feel the caring and hope behind her message and smile. 

“You have a grand design in play, which is why you wanted to escape the dream. To mentor her directly.” Mrs. Rivers catches on. “You want my pupil to be the catalyst of Elven revival?”

“If possible, yes. She has such great potential, with your help, can we see it blossom?” Lairelindë looks to Mrs. Rivers for her support. 

“Now that I know what is going on, I will work with the Rasmussen's to see what there is to be done.” My teacher smiles. 

The bell ringing surprises my godmother, I suddenly feel her being sucked back into me, like part of me falling back into place. I catch the edge of the teacher’s desk to settle myself. “Oh! Let’s not do that too often.” I say as the room stops spinning. 

“You will feel better in a moment.” Mrs. Rivers smiles sympathetically. “Now, go find Luna, teleportation is not a druid ability, you will need her to get you around.” 

“Thanks.” I smile. I can’t just leave my gratefulness as it is, and step forward giving her a hug. 

“Oh. But we have just started my child, thank me when we pass the next stage in your adventure.” Mrs. Rivers smiles. “Now off you go.” 

I smile and grab my bag, heading out of class to meet Luna almost outside of the door. “I felt you were nearby.” She smiles. 

“One day I’ll figure out how you always find me.” I smile affectionately. 

“If I told you everything it would ruin the fun and mystery of it all.” She gives me a coy smile and pulls me in for a hug. “Let’s go home.” She releases her hug, but keeps her arm around my waist. “Lelyana bar” Luna says and the school disappears. 


	10. Home Again

Home again… _Yes. This is home_. I relax into Luna as the events of my last class take their toll. 

“Are you Okay nittinya?” Luna asks with concern. 

“Mrs. Rivers has this spell to allow Aini-Emmenya to manifest briefly.” The process took a lot out of me. 

“Really?” Luna turns and looks at me with worry in her lovely black eyes. How do I find the black orbs lovely now is beyond me, in some ways they are more expressive than any other I’ve known. Or maybe it’s this connection we have that she keeps talking about? 

“It felt like part of me was being pulled out for examination and then sucked back into me when it was over.” I frown, trying to describe the feeling of a part of your essence being pulled from you, only to snap back in place. 

“Did it hurt?” She asks, caressing my cheek tenderly. 

“No, just… disorienting.” I sigh at her touch. _I wish Luna would stop being so loving and tender, I’m not supposed to love my sister this way_. “It allowed for my godmother to speak to Mrs. Rivers directly and tell her what’s going on… and they’re going to search for an elf that can help with the ritual.” 

“So, good news then?” Luna gives me a hopeful glance. 

“Promising news. Lairelindë wants me to start an Elven rival!” I say surprised. “She’s grooming me to be the first Elven Arch Druid to be born on this plane, since the exodus of the elves two millennia ago!” I say in wonder as I remember the conversation. 

“That sounds like a lot of responsibility to put on a 15-year-old.” Luna frowns at the tall task that my ancestor is throwing me into. “Do you think you can do that?” 

“I’m just going to take this one step at a time.” I shrug. “I mean, a revival of the Elven race won’t happen overnight, it could easily take a human generation to achieve, and I’m probably being optimistic.” I look thoughtful. “You are not disappointed in me, are you?” 

“What would I be disappointed about?” Luna says in a soft, almost sultry tone. _Damn, she’s so provocatively attractive._

“That I didn’t take Emmenya up on her original offer to use your bloodline?” I venture. 

“Emmenya said last night that this is probably best, lest you be cursed to a vampiric existence.” Luna’s smile is comforting. 

“That’s what Lairelindë said to Mrs. Rivers as well.” Choosing a true blood ritual would make me more powerful, and live just as long.”

“Really?” Luna asks curiously. 

“My ancestor comes from an age where elves didn’t die of old age. Unless that’s changed over the past two thousand years, I’m likely to end up immortal.” I reply. 

“ _And your eyes will mostly likely turn green_.” The voice in my head advises me. 

“And she says the blue will go away, depending on the Elven blood I consume.” I echo Lairelindë’s voice. 

Luna gently touches my temple as she looks at me. “So this lovely green ring, that borders on emerald will be your new eye colour? Will your hair change as well?” She glances up.

After a moment of debating the possibility with my godmother, I answer. “It’s unlikely my hair colour will change. My godmother’s hair was a fine golden blond in my dream, like mine is." 

Luna smiles, and her hand drifts up to my hair, gently combing through it. Goose bumps rise on my arms at the feeling of her touch. “Good.” She smiles lovingly. “There is something about your blond hair that is so attractive.” 

Ashanna comes out of the greenhouse and greets us, breaking our tender moment. “How was school my dears?” 

“Informative.” I turn around, welcome for the distraction, before I feel compelled to kiss my lovely Luna. “Mrs. Rivers spoke with Lairelindë and she will help.” I smile. 

“That is good news.” Emmenya smiles. “Did she mention how long such help will take?” 

I shake my head. “There is this planner chronicler bard that they know, her name is Lyric Eversong. Mrs. Rivers thinks she might be of help.” 

Ashanna smiles. “I know of the bard you speak, but I had no way to reach her myself. This is wonderful news.” 

“We just don’t know how long it’ll take. Penny needs to ask Angel Goodson. Apparently the performer has a means to communicate with Lyric.” 

“And along the grapevine we go.” Ashanna sighs. “I was hoping to keep those involved at a minimum.” 

“Mrs. Rivers says we can trust the Goodson family.” I say in a hopeful tone. 

“Strongest alchemy family in the world? I suppose we could. They’ve kept a secret of infusing their sports drinks with magical potions for three decades now, and the rest of the world is none the wiser. Provided that the young Angel is smart enough to keep it to herself, we shouldn’t have a problem.” Ashanna smiles thoughtfully. “Yes, this will work well indeed.”

“I just can’t believe I’ll chance meeting Angel Goodson!” I say excitedly.

“Are we a fan of the lovely blond performer?” Ashanna teases me. 

I blush. “She’s so tall, graceful and beautiful. I can only aspire to be that pretty one day.” I say wistfully. 

“You will be even more beautiful, my dear. Elves are much more attractive than humans.” Ashanna smiles. 

“You mean I can be as beautiful as you and Luna?” I say hopefully. 

“Yes, but with creamy pink skin, like the tone you have now.” Ashanna gives a lovely smile. 

“Wow, won’t I stand out at family gatherings?” I joke as I’m almost the opposite of my adoptive family. 

Ashanna giggles. “There’s that cunning sense of humour that originally led me to believe you to be a bard.” Ashanna smiles. “Come, lets get supper ready. Are you hungry? I was just going to make a Caesar salad. If you want more, we can see what else we can add to your plate.” 

“The salad should be fine, but I’ll probably want a snack later.” I smile. “What do you use for bacon in a Cesar salad?” I ask curiously as I sit down at the table and pull out my literature assignment. 

“There is a mushroom that, when marinated in smoke, cut thin, then fried, tastes just like bacon. All the flavour and protein, none of the fat.” Ashanna smiles knowingly. 

“That sounds delicious.” I smile as I open my book to the current reading assignment. “I guess I’m going to learn healthy eating living with you.” I grin. 

“Well, we consume the occasional sweets and confections.” Ashanna says as she prepares the dressing while Luna puts all the ingredients in the bowl. “But we don’t consume fatty foods or what most humans call junk food - if that’s what you are implying.” 

“Even when we make fries, they are baked, we never fry food in oil if we can avoid it.” Luna adds to her mother’s comment.

Ashanna pulls out some croutons and adds them and the seasoning together. We discuss my current reading homework over supper. It still surprises me how my adopted family discusses school, but doesn’t grill me on my grades. They want to know more about what I like or don’t like about my classes, and if they can help where I might be struggling. For the first time in my life, I feel like someone cares what I think. The more love they provide, the less I miss my birth family. The only person I miss the most from my formal life is Kevin. I hope he’s doing well. I ask if it’s Okay to send him a message, but through social media, not my new phone number. 

“Have you started a new social media page yet?” Luna asks me. 

“Not yet, I don’t have a feminine picture to add to it.” I reply. 

“When I do up your face, you look pretty like many girls in your class.” Luna offers me some support. 

“Your outfit today, you certainly look like a prepubescent girl.” Ashanna reinforces the statement. 

“You think so?” I say in slight disbelief. 

“I know you don’t sound or smell like a girl, that will come in time, my dear. But have you had any of your classmates call you by a male pronoun?” Ashanna inquires. 

“No, but Sala’s friends aren’t fully convinced when I told them I am a transgender girl.” I say hesitantly. 

“Sala doesn’t have any problems with thinking of you as a girl.” Luna winks. 

“Sala just wants me, regardless of the package.” I frown. 

“You don’t like the Fae girl's attentions?” Ashanna quirks an eyebrow. 

“I’m not used to that much affection.” I ponder. “She immediately latched on to me and sometimes acts as if I will disappear if I’m not close by.” 

“She’s young and insecure. You feel safe, allow her your comfort, who knows where your relationship might lead.” Ashanna gives me a motherly smile. I feel as much as notice Luna tense up. I see she’s fighting her emotions with how she feels about me. Her mother catches it too. “What is it, Luna?” 

“I don’t really trust the Fae. Like Simia said, she’s became too clingy too fast. I’m just trying to protect my sister.” Luna frowns. 

“I’m sure you are.” Ashanna gives her daughter a knowing smile, she sees the jealous undertones in that comment as much as I do. 

"Mrs. Rivers told me to not resist Sala, that she will need my protection. Apparently the charm she wears is more illusion based, and won’t provide her the protection she thinks it will." I say looking at my bowl. 

“Oh, really?” Ashanna queries. “So your teachers have noticed her actions as well?” 

“Sala doesn’t hide how she feels for my sister.” Luna comments, a little too bitterly. “She holds her close and always sits beside her. The only classes she stays away are the ones with Master Phan, she seems afraid of him.” 

“You’ve been watching me.” I tease my sister. 

“You are in a strange new school, with strange new creatures. Till you learn your abilities, you are a mundane human in a building full of predators. Yes, I’ve been watching to make sure you are safe.” She gives me a pleading look, trying to justify her need to see me. 

“I’m just teasing you Luna, I know you care, and I thank your for what you’ve done to help me.” I say gently. 

Luna relaxes and scoops up some of her supper happily. 

“Being afraid of Master Phan is natural. A warlock vampire who’s worked millennia to overcome our race’s weaknesses. He can be scary, but he’s not a dangerous man - unless angered or threatened.” Ashanna says in a comforting tone. “You have nothing to fear from your Botany and History teacher, he’s reached out to me. He’s been closely monitoring your change and looks forward to seeing what you can truly achieve.”

“Because as an Elven Druid I may prove the be one of the more powerful students in his class, yes he’s hinted at that.” I say thoughtfully, munching on supper. “He’s not seen my recent aura change, has he?” 

“He has, you may have missed his class, but he is more observant than he appears.” Ashanna gives me a knowing smile. 

“How many school books has he written that I’ll be using?” I enquire. 

“At least five to my knowledge. Maybe more under a different pen name.” Ashanna replies. “He is the expert in Asian history, having lived through most of it personally.” 

“But not much about my heritage?” I probe. 

“He lived on the other side of the world from the Elven empire. By the time he travelled the world, the Romans had all but destroyed the Elves and, what few were left, lived in nomadic druidic caravans, always on the move.” Ashanna informs me. “Those that could, fled to the outer plane of Arborea, or what they like to call the Forest Realm. Destroying the Fae gates as they left. The only portal left to the outer planes is in Glimmerbrook. Even then, the Realm of Magic lies on the Astral Plane, between realms it can act as a gateway to other places, but is safely tucked in its own pocket of the universe, to keep the arcane and magically active safe from outside harm.” 

"When Mrs. Rivers mentioned travelling there, it worried my godmother our tether would be severed. Her power has always been here, in the mortal realm. She doesn’t know what planner travel would do to our joining." I recount part of our conversation. “Which is why we’re asking Lyric to come here instead, where she knows it’s possible.”

“Or at least where she knows it’s safe. Yes, I can see your ancestor’s worry and caution. Particularly since Arborea is a realm of Light and Holiness. The blood magic rituals she wishes to cast, to first manifest herself, and then to transform you would not be possible there. If fact, it may destroy her completely if either were to fail.” Ashanna warns me. 

“ _I knew there was a reason I disliked that suggestion._ ” Lairelindë says in my mind. “ _My magic rituals lie in old traditions that modern magic users disfavour. Using blood magic led to evil, dark arts that became forbidden. It was necessary to banish all blood magic to keep the humans from doing ill deeds._ " 

“Aini-Emmenya agrees with you.” I reply, seeing as only I can hear her right now. “The old druid rituals became forbidden, as humanity would use them for dark purposes, which led to human sacrifice.” I say sadly. 

“The druids never sacrificed humans, they only needed animals for their rituals.” Ashanna frowns. 

“How do you separate the good rituals from the bad ones hidden as good rituals?” I can feel my ancestor's pain. “Will we reawaken those rituals after this?” I ask aloud.

“ _Not if we can avoid it, the Rasmussen avoid blood, meaning we'll need that Master Phan they speak of heading the ritual. I don’t want to put your new family at risk for my sake._ ” 

“Aini-Emmenya thinks that her and Master Phan should perform my ritual, so as not to expose you to the blood of the living.” I relay her message. 

“I will not abandon my child at her time of need.” Ashanna says firmly. “You may not be mine by birth, but I have sworn to protect you. I will be there to keep you safe.” 

“Thank you.” I reach out for her hand and she takes it. “That means a lot to me.” I’m thoughtful for a moment. “Does Rose know of this plan?” 

“I don’t think so, no.” Ashanna replies. 

“Will she be upset that I’m not following the standard process of medical transition?” I say in a worried tone. “She’s doing so much to make sure that my parents don’t find me, and that I’m safe here as well.” 

“I will explain her the option we’re exploring. It is… unconventional.” Ashanna nods. “It would most likely be impossible without Lairelindë here to guide you. It is her ritual that we will perform, a ritual that has been lost to the ages and only exists in hers and your minds.” 

“But you saw this as an option almost the moment I got here.” I say puzzled. 

“I saw it as an option as you mentioned your dreams. It wasn’t just fantasy or a hopeful subconscious.” She advises me. “No, I felt another’s hand at work, and held hope that it was what I thought. The Drow have similar arcane rituals, so it felt familiar.” 

“So if it wasn’t for my mentioning my dream, then you would have gone with Rose’s plan?” I venture. 

“It was the most obvious answer, it’s why I reached out to her Saturday night.” Ashanna smiles. 

“So much is happening so fast.” I lean back and look up at the ceiling. “My head is suddenly full of thousands of years of a history I never even knew existed.” 

“Unless Lyric can be here by Harvest Fest in two weeks... Your next chance for the time it’ll take to absorb the changes to your body, and not miss class, won’t be until the Winter Break.” Ashanna advises me. 

“So I have time to think all this through.” I relax. 

“The choice has always been yours, my dear, I would never ask that you do something you were not willing to pursue.” Ashanna reassures me. 

“Tell that to my eager ancestor who wants to kick start a new Elven society…” I say with a slight frown. I argue a few moments in my head with Lairelindë as I finish supper. “Okay, so she’s just excited and anxious, she’s sorry that she was making me feel rushed.” I say as I finish my plate. 

“I can always feel conflicted emotions when you debate with her.” Ashanna smiles. “I can only imagine how the conversations go in your mind.” 

“Well, if we’re not worried about transformation till Winter Break, then that gives Aini-Emmenya two weeks to prepare me for her manifestation. Apparently at the time of casting she will need to be bound to something: An object, or place, or me. As a fairë, she needs an anchor so as not to drift away into the Ether.” I reply.

“I have just the thing.” Ashanna smiles. “I will show it to you later. For now, finish your studies please.” 

“Yes, Emmenya.” I say affectionately. I don’t know why I enjoy the thought of this exotic creature as my mother. Perhaps it’s because she has shown me more care, compassion and love that my birth parents have shown me in years. She shows me just as much love as she does to Luna, and that means so much for me right now.


	11. Memories and More

Last night, Lairelindë shared with me the moment of her death: Fighting Romans while protecting her Gaelic students. The Centurions called her students barbarians and were insulted that she would teach them things that the Empire didn’t even know. There is only so much a handful of druids can do against a legion of Roman soldiers - even with magic on your side. Eventually you run out of energy to keep them at bay, and they charge through. 

I wake up feeling depressed, something Luna notices as she comes into the bedroom. She was out last night with mother, running the club. Every morning, just before sunrise, my family comes back home. 

“What is wrong, nittinya? You didn’t sleep well?" Luna’s voice is filled with concern as she sits down on the bed and touches my cheek. 

I lean into her touch. _It feels so nice when she does this._ “I guess you could say I had a nightmare, but it wasn’t mine.” I start. “Aini-Emmenya shared with me the last days of her Druid grove in Gaul. She had left the Tir and was teaching the Gaelic tribes war tactics, and how to use nature to protect themselves. In the end, they dispatched an entire Legion to take care of her and her followers.” 

“So that’s why the Romans had so much trouble in Gaul?” Luna says, thinking back on her world history. “The Elves were teaching the tribes how to fight, boosting their abilities with magic. There was a comic artist once who made a series about that, I guess they passed it down his family through the generations…” 

“And like the Celts, Gaelic tribes had some writing on stones, but preferred to keep their history passed on word of mouth. Druids and Bards were the lifeblood of keeping their village’s history to pass on to the next generations.” I say thoughtfully. I look at her. “So much of our past was lost because the victors wrote history, erasing those they vanquished as nothing but footnotes of conquest.” I say sadly. 

“It is why Master Phan and some more of the long-lived races have been writing the history books we use in our schools for the gifted. To teach the actual history of how our world developed.” Luna adds as a comforting statement. “Come, lets get you ready for school. I have a tunic sweater and jeans for you today. Emmenya bought some long boots in your size. It should look absolutely adorable on you.” She holds out her hand and I move to allow her to pull me out of bed. She conveniently steals a warm, loving hug as I stand up in front of her. 

I head into the bathroom with my mind going over more recent events. I grab a quick morning shower and find my clothing laid out on the bed as I dry myself. It’s been almost two weeks now that I’ve been living with the Rasmussen family. Luna and her mother are still amazingly supportive and as loving as ever. I feel like I’ve gone from living in hell to heaven, and I have vampires to thank for it - the irony of my situation is almost comical. 

We tried to talk to my parents this past weekend, that didn’t go well. We even made the call away from home. It was a warm overcast day, so we called from the park in Newcrest. On a hunch, Ashanna cleaned it, then left my phone behind on the bench after we hung up. Sure enough, the police showed up as we left the park. We watched the situation from across the street for a while. The police had a picture of me, which - of course - looks nothing like I am now. With my feminine styled hair, makeup, and a-cup chest, I no longer look like the boy in the picture they were showing. Rose advises us that the papers have been filed, and that my court date will be after the Harvest Fest long weekend. This is the fourth time that she’s helped a minor file for emancipation because of violent or abusive neglect. She knows a judge who’s partial to trans-identified youth, so this should go through smoothly. I started hormone blockers on Monday, Lairelindë doesn't think they’ll hamper my transformation, it just stops my puberty while we get all this sorted out. 

I get dressed, putting on the sports bra that holds my breast forms. Since I started showing a chest this week, Sala’s friends are finally getting the picture that, yes, I am a transgender girl. Using Luna’s lavender-scented products helps me no longer smell male, and the closest thing I have to androgynous clothing now is my gym outfit. I finish getting dressed in the lovely black cable top tunic sweater, jeans and boots that nearly reach my knees. I love my new wardrobe, it’s so pretty! 

I head downstairs and greet my family as they sort out breakfast. I’m getting used to a quick meal of yogurt, cereal, muffin, or pastry in the morning. Weekends Ashanna will cook waffles or pancakes, but not on a school day. I asked them once if we can have Eggo Waffles. My mother and sister had never heard of them. I’ve come to understand that they never eat frozen or pre-made foods, everything is freshly cooked, freshly grown, or purchased from the weekend market. I also don’t seem to miss meat, but it’s only been a week and a half since I ran away from my birth family. That might change come the holiday when I’m craving turkey. 

“You look tired today, Emmenya…” I comment as I munch on my Harvest Crunch cereal.

“We had a bachelor party last night. It was quite trying to keep the young men under control, they kept trying to manhandle the dancers.” Ashanna says wearily. “Gron had to threaten to throw a few of them out for not abiding to club rules.” 

I’ve met the two-and-a-half meter tall bouncer the club has, I’d hate to be on the half-giant’s bad side. 

“We had to end their party at 2am, they were drunk and tried to feel me up as I was serving a round.” Luna’s voice is cold and loathing. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Luna.” I say with a sympathetic voice, touching her hand gently. 

She takes my hand and smiles. “You are my ray of sunshine every morning.” She says affectionately. 

She is about to bring my hand up and kiss it, till a look from her mother stops her. Ashanna has caught on to Luna’s flirting and is limiting her daughters having romantic exchanges - for which I’m grateful. I know I have no willpower against Luna’s advances. I’ve caught myself more than once nearly kissing my sister. While I’m technically adopted, it still wouldn’t look good for us to be a couple. Luna gives my hand one last affectionate squeeze before letting it go. 

Luna is helping me with my makeup after breakfast and apologizes to me. “It is so hard to only love you as a sibling.” She says sadly. 

“I know.” I reply, closing my eyes so that she can put on eyeshadow. “It’s hard to contain my feelings for you.” I agree with her. “Just try not to kiss me, that would really make things awkward.” I say teasingly. 

Luna giggles. “You are always joking, you’re so cute.” Seeing her smile is like winning the lottery, she is so beautiful. 

\- - -

We get to school and it doesn’t take long for my pretty platinum-haired Sala to find me and give me a loving hug. People have started calling her my girlfriend the way she holds on to me. 

“So, have you thought about my question from Monday?” She asks me excitedly. 

“Refresh my memory.” I say as we walk. She has been repeatedly asking me since the weekend, but I want to make sure. 

“Who are you taking to the Harvest Dance on Friday?” she asks impatiently. 

“I thought I was going with Luna.” I reply with a coy smile and wait for the expected. 

“No! You can’t take your sister to the dance! You have to bring a date!” Sala exclaims loudly, causing heads to turn. 

“I heard that!” Luna says as she is only a few meters away. My newfound friends giggle at her reaction.

“Come on, Simia. Please! You need to bring a date….” Sala pleads, she looks so adorable when she gives me that look. 

“And who would I bring as a date to the dance?” I say playing dumb. “I don’t really know anyone in the school very well.” 

Sala gives me an annoying glare as a response. I finally give in, I know what she wants me to say, there’s no point in dragging it on any longer. 

“Okay. Okay. I was only teasing.” I say tenderly and stop. My motion forces Sala to turn and face me. “Sala, may I have the honour of escorting you to the dance?” I ask with poise. I’ve asked no one out before, might as well make it sound fancy, I read that line in a book somewhere.

Sala’s whole face lights up as if she were just given the best gift ever. “Yes, I would love to!” Her cheerful voice is easily an octave higher in her excitement, and she hugs me tight as a thank you.

“She’s been waiting since last Friday for you to ask that question.” Ginette smiles as we resume walking. “You just made her year.” 

To say that I’m not developing feelings for my affectionate little Fae would be a lie. She’s so easily lovable. While not as attractive as my lovely Luna, at least it should be safe to date the girl who now has her arm around my waist. _She’s going to be even more clingy today now that I’m her date_. Compared to the other girls in my class: a vampire, 2 werewolves, and Sala’s 3 magi friends, she really is the cutest girl in my grade. She’s also one of the shortest. I’m close to 2 meters tall, and she’s a half meter shorter than I am. Her head is chest height to me, when I have breasts, she’s going to have nice pillows to cuddle. She’s already started with the forms I wear.   
I never realized I had competition for my Fae’s affections. Yet I can tell that a few in my class are jealous that another girl caught Sala’s eye. I can see it in their faces as she looks up at me lovingly, talking about the dress she’s going to be wearing. 

First class today after homeroom is French. I love Rose’s accent; she is so fluent and is impressed how fast I am picking up on the articulation. Now if I can just get verb conjugation right… Rose is patient with the class, she admits it's one of the harder human languages to learn. French grammar is filled with so many rules, exceptions to the rules, and exceptions to the exceptions of those rules… it’s almost hard to follow. At least pronunciation is clear. Unlike Simlish, where the same word can have over one meaning, depending on how it’s pronounced, French is straight forward on what means what. I just don’t like how gendered the language is: everything has a gender, even things like tables and chairs! Rose can’t explain why, it’s just how the language developed. 

“Now there are some words that can have more than one meaning.” Rose writes the verb 'Aimer' on the blackboard. “French is a romantic language, there is no difference between loving something and simply liking something. It’s the same word. It’s the context that is important.” She explains. “I can say: ‘Je vous aimes.’ To the entire class, which means literally means I love you all. Not that I romantically love you, but I care for you all as my students.” Rose walks along the rows and stops at my desk. “However, if our dear Simiathlas were to say to our lovely Sala here. ‘Je vous aimes.’” Her tone is suggestive. “It could have a much deeper meaning.” She teases me. The class giggles and a few even whistle, leaving both Sala and I blushing as we look at each other, Sala looks down bashfully.

Rose returns to front of the class. “Intonation can change the meaning and how your portray your message.” She reinforces. “I want you all to finish ‘Le Petite Prince’ that we started reading on Monday. Next week, I’ll bring in this nice animated movie for you all to watch.” She smiles. “For those who may be stuck on the meaning of the story, you can cheat and find the Simlish version of the novel and movie over the long weekend. However, we will analyze the French version, so keep that in mind.” The bell rings and she smiles. “For those of you who have Gym tomorrow, I’ll see you then, otherwise, have a great long weekend.” 

It’s strange switching gears from one language arts class to the other, but grammar class is next. Penny is teaching us passive voice on verbs, which while difficult, makes my last class feel easy. 

Math just wizzes right by and before I know it, we’re heading out for lunch. “This morning is going by so quickly.” Ginette comments.

“The look on your faces when Coach Montgomery used you two as an example between like and love was so cute. Seems even the teachers have picked up on your relationship.” Sam teases. 

“What did she do?” Luna asks, I can hear the touch of annoyance in her voice. Luna’s still not appreciating Sala’s affections for me. 

“Coach was explaining how French is a romantic language, so they use the verb aimer for both like and love. Your intonation and intentions can change what it means.” Lynn explains. 

“I’ve been taking French, yes I know that.” Luna frowns, trying to get where the girls are going. 

Ginette echos Rose’s lesson. “Well, if I say ‘Je vous aimes.’, it can merely mean that I care for all of you as you are my friends.” Luna nods, waiting for the other half. “Coach then went to Simia and said that if she were to say ‘Je vous aimes.’ To Sala.” Using the same provocative tone. “It could have a deeper meaning.” She grins. 

“I see.” Luna doesn’t look impressed. 

“Oh, come now Luna.” Ginette exclaims, “Are you annoyed that Simia might end up with a girlfriend and not a boyfriend?”

“No, Simia told me when she first joined the family that she has no interest in boys.” Luna says munching on her plasma fruit salad. 

“So what is it then?” Lynn probes. 

“Luna still doesn’t fully trust Sala.” I reply for my sister, passing off her jealousy as something else. “She’s just being protective, I’ve never dated before.” 

“Well, that makes more sense now.” Ginette smiles. “I remember when Thomas asked me to the Love Festival last year, my Dad was so strict on what he could do and when I was to be home. I couldn’t even stay the whole dance. I understand overprotective family.” 

“Wait, it’s not like Simia can get pregnant.” Lynn says, “what’s the diff if you two get close?” 

“I’d be more worried what Simia could do to Sala considering what’s still in her pants.” Ginette gives me a slight glare.

“I’ve never even kissed someone, and you’re talking about pregnancy!?” I try to keep my voice down.

“You’ve never even kissed anyone?” Sam says surprised. She gives Luna a challenging look. 

“Sam, she’s my sister.” Luna scolds her at the suggestion that there is more to my relationship with my sister. 

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed your jealousy towards Sala for what it is.” Sam challenges Luna. “You care more for Simia than you let on.” 

I give my sister a worried look, wondering what she’s going to answer, will she admit her feelings in front of my friends?

Sala breaks the tension. “It’s because I’m Fae, she probably loves Simia, but that’s not the primary reason for her distrust.” 

Ginette suddenly looks at her friend, surprised. 

I look at Sala affectionately. “You didn’t need to tell them, you know.” 

Ginette suddenly looks at me in shock. “You’ve only known her for two weeks, how could you tell?”

“Simia can see thought the veil.” Luna replies for me. “There’s not a single illusion that she’s come across that she can’t peer through and see what’s truly there. First me, then Sala. She could tell that Master Phan was a vampire the moment she saw him.” 

The bell ringing saves us from further discussion, and we gather up our things and part ways with Luna as we head to Biology class. 

“So, you’re Fae!?” Ginette says, amazed as we walk to class. Sala just nods as an answer.

“Explains why she’s so short.” Sam teases. 

“Hey!” Sala says, offended. 

“Don’t let your size bother you.” I say hugging her to me. “It’s not the size of your person, but the size of your heart that matters.” 

Sala leans against me affectionately. “You are such a romantic.” 

“How many students in this school have illusion charms?” Lynn asks me. 

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you, I see every creature for their true form, for the exception of werewolves. They look human till the full moon, then I can smell them… the fur gives off a certain odour.” I reply 

As we get into class, Ginette lowers her voice. “So Luna says that you first saw her true form, she just looks like any other black girl here in school, what is she?” 

“I can’t tell you that answer without her permission.” I reply calmly. It’s not my place to out Luna’s race. “I look at Sala, and no, you can’t tell her either.” 

“I can’t even give her a hint?” Sala asks pleadingly. 

The bell rings, so I merely just shake my head. 

Later, in Botany class, Master Phan has caught on that, not only does Lairelindë know just as much about Botany as he does, she could probably teach him a few things about rare plants and magical variants. Not to mention my ancestor taught me a spell to detect any plant I want on my own. So, he no longer quizzes me on the material we are studying, he knows I already have the answer, and probably more than he wants to hear about it. He’s still better at drawing than I am, so he has me beat there. _For now_ , Lairelindë says, I can hear the smile in her comment. 


	12. Always There

Whenever I look at reflective surfaces, my godmother is there. I usually have to make sure I’m alone before talking with her, so that people don’t think I’m talking to myself, as they can only hear my half of the conversation. I can always feel she is there regardless, and she’ll make regular comments to what’s going on around me. With her help my grades are definitely going to improve… 

She can’t really read my thoughts, so I have to concentrate when I answer. I’ve started writing my side of conversations, so that we can have a quiet chat between the two of us without me having to change my focus all the time. In my dreams we can talk freely, but she explains its cause I’m on a different level of consciousness. She allows me to remember our dream conversations, so he helps in not repeating something we may have discussed overnight.

Ashanna takes me dress shopping for the Dance on Thursday. The dance is tomorrow, so we need something that fits with little to no alterations to make. It’s interesting having the opinion of three women as we shop for clothing, I sadly do not know anything about women’s fashion, so I’ve been relying on my family to figure out what clothes look best on me. 

We finally settle on this nice moss green cowl-neck evening dress. We go for the high neckline dress, as I don’t have a cleavage to promote. It’s a full length dress, with the slit just above the knee, Ashanna was originally going to go for a hip height side slit, but Luna agrees with Lairelindë to wait till I have more of a figure for something that revealing. I’m only 15, this is supposed to be a teen dance. 

Ashanna decides to glam it up a bit, adding a gold belt and matching bangle. She completes the look with a two-tiered beaded necklace and matching green pearl-like clip-on earrings. 

“If you like earrings, we can see about piercing your ears come your birthday.” Ashanna says as they examine my new look in the mirror. 

“You know if we add some green tips or feathering to her hair…” Luna starts. 

“No, I don’t need another daughter colouring her hair all strange manners of colours.” Ashanna says causing Luna to giggle. 

The clerk has been quiet up till now, letting the women decide on what we’ll go with. Once satisfied, she rings us up, Lairelindë senses her unease as much as I do. “Recently adopted.” I answer that question she’s been dying to ask. 

“That will be a lovely dress for the Harvest Dance.” The woman smiles, “you are so lucky to have a family to spoil you like this.” 

I look to Ashanna and smile lovingly. “Yes, I am, and I thank the stars every day for it.” 

Luna gives me an affectionate hug in response, and we head out of the store. We’re on the way to the food court for supper, hoping to find some good vegetarian options when I hear my name. I smile as I recognize the voice and catch my soon-to-be girlfriend as she nearly leaps happily in my arms. I take a half a step back to account for her momentum, I’m thankful Fae are light, a human girl her size probably would have knocked me over. 

“Who is this enthusiastic little thing?” Ashanna smiles as Luna scowls at my affections being stolen away from her. 

“This is my classmate Sala Nixë, she’s the first friend I made in class last week.” I smile as I put Sala down. 

“So this is the tall blond girl you speak so fondly of?” A voice says from behind Sala. The woman is almost a head taller than her daughter, and the resemblance is uncanny. She wears a long ivory dress with gold accents, frost-like lace trims the neck, sleeves and bottom. 

“They are assensing one another, this could go badly is Sala’s mother is intolerant of other races.” Lairelindë says to me.

“Mother, don’t make a scene.” Sala pleads. “Simia is adopted into their family, they care for her more than her birth parents did.” 

“Oh, really?” The Sylph Queen says to her daughter. She doesn’t look happy. “And why do you care so much for this…” she gasps. 

“See, I told you Simia was special.” Sala says hugging me close. 

“How far are you along your path, child?” The Fae's eyes have turned opalescent as she picks my aura apart. 

“Two weeks.” I reply, reading the undertone of her question, there’s only so much you can say in a mall full of humans. 

“And how long will it be till it’s completed?” She’s not sugar coating anything. 

“She can read me riding alongside you, she’s figuring out what I’m trying to do as well.” Lairelindë adds. 

“If all goes well, she will be her full self by the New Year.” Ashanna catches on to what the Sylph is implying. 

“You mean you are going to be a true elf next year?” Sala whispers in amazement. 

“If we can reach one of my Elven ancestors in the outer planes, yes.” I whisper back. “We have a lead.” 

“And you support this?” the Sylph seems confused why Ashanna would help me. 

“It is that or truly make her my daughter by bloodline, which do you think is better?” Ashanna challenges the question.

“I think my daughter would prefer her girlfriend to keep her fair complexion.” The Sylph responds with a hint of rudeness. 

“Girlfriend?” Ashanna looks confused, looks over to us, and realizes Sala is affectionately hugging my side, her arm around my waist.

I blush. “It’s not official yet, I wanted to see how things go with the Dance tomorrow. We haven’t even kissed.” I say defensively. 

“It’s clear what Sala wants though.” Ashanna gives me a motherly smile. “While an unusual mate, I suppose it’s better than most of the boys Luna talks about at school.” 

“Like she would date a boy.” Luna and Sala say together, leaving me to giggle. _My girls know me so well in such a short time_. 

“Simia gets prettier every day, and smells like a field of lavender, it’s so refreshing.” Sala says leaning against me.

“We were about to grab something to eat. Would you care to join us? If our children are to date, it is only polite to get to know one another.” Ashanna says in a gentle tone. I’ve heard her use that tone, and it’s almost impossible to resist it. 

The Sylph smiles. “Very well, there’s a restaurant at the end of mall, they have excellent vegetarian dishes there.” 

Emmenya nods and we follow the Fae to the restaurant. “I am Miahna Nixë, this is my daughter Sala.” She starts introductions. 

“I am Ashanna Rasmussen, and these are my daughters Luna and Simiathlas. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Emmenya gives a pleasant smile. 

“You are much more elegant than I would imagine, considering your heritage.” Miahna says bluntly, but doesn’t say it outright, being in a public setting. 

“There is an exotic fruit that allows us to be kinder and more gentle than the rest of our people.” Ashanna says, playing with words. 

"That would explain the alluring scent that surrounds you and your daughters, though I don’t smell it as much on your youngest." I’ve barely eaten the fruit, it must by my contact with my family that has it lingering on me. 

“The fruit is toxic to mortals, Simiathlas most likely has it as a lingering effect from contact.” Ashanna says thoughtfully.

“It could explain Sala’s near immediate attraction, though…” Luna adds thoughtfully. 

Miahna suddenly becomes interested in the subject. Once we get to the restaurant, she requests a quiet personal booth. The two families sit across from one another, Sala is disappointed she can’t sit beside me, and Luna gives a smirk that she won this contest. These two girls fighting over my affections are going to get tiresome, considering the Luna shouldn’t be holding such feelings for me. 

Once we’ve made our drink and food order, we discuss the plasma fruit and the benefits it gives to the vampires in my family. Ashanna admits to Miahna that I have sampled some fruit, but it should not have been enough to change the scent I generate. It is most likely due to contact with them. To be honest, I don’t notice the smell anymore, must be because of my constant exposure to it. 

Ashanna asks the one question that’s been bugging me for over a week now: “Why Newcrest?”

“You mean, why this small little town full of paranormal creatures? Or why did I choose a place that has a warm summer, and not a more northern climate, considering the nature of our abilities?” Miahna asks Emmenya to clarify. 

“Why such a southern city?” Mother smiles. “The weather here, you must be uncomfortable at least 4 months out of the year…”

“The summer months we vacation further north.” The Sylph smiles. “Yes, the warmer months are hard to tolerate. The schools further north are much larger, I thought a smaller consolidated school would be better fitting for my daughter.” 

“Wouldn’t it have been better to be surrounded with more of your kind?” I can hear the concern in Ashanna’s voice. 

“On the contrary, it would have been more dangerous. Sala is my only heir, if anything were to happen to her.” The Sylph’s face creases with worry. 

“Because the Winter Fae are of a weaker house, and easier to take advantage of.” Ashanna catches on. 

“The teachers have encouraged me to embrace Sala’s affections, that she would need my protection, now I’m beginning to understand why.” I say candidly. 

“But my pendant…” Sala says, looking down at her necklace. 

“Won’t protect you as much as you think it does.” I say to her, and Sala looks at me shocked. 

“They see your growing power, as a keeper of nature and light.” Miahna’s eyes glow opalescent again. “Yes, you would make a suitable protector as your strength grows. Your teachers are wise.” 

“But Simia is so thin, she’s not anywhere as strong as Coach Montgomery.” Sala says confused. 

“Strength is not always to be seen, my child.” She gives her a motherly smile. “Simiathlas has the beginnings of a strong druid. For one so young as well, she is probably stronger in nature magic than any of your arcane friends in class.” 

“Even more powerful than Ginette?” Sala says, amazed. 

“Ginette can cast cantrips and maybe simplest spells.” I say from what our friend was showing off this afternoon.

“And you?” Sala looks at me, “I’ve seen none of your abilities before.” 

The food arrives, and we’re quiet for a moment as they dish the plates out. Once we’re alone again, I take a knife and place it in my glass of water. “ _Ure Rauta_ ” I say to heat the knife, and the water in the cup boils, as the knife turns red hot. Miahna is about to reverse the spell, when I hold up my hand. “ _Nicurauta_ ” I say to cool it back down. “One does not start something that one does not know how to stop.” I echo Lairelindë when she taught me the two spells over the weekend. 

“I am impressed.” Miahna smiles, I can see by the shocked look on the faces Sala and my family that they are as well.” 

I get a cheeky smile and I look at the vase of flowers on the table; I touch the baby’s-breath. “ _ManaPiucca_ ” I whisper, and six of the little flowers turn into blackberries. “Aini-Emmenya says the berries will last for four days and each berry holds a full meal of nutrients.” I eat one of the berries, knowing it’s going to kill my appetite, but I want to prove that they are not poisonous. I hand the rest of them to Miahna. “This is my gift to you.” 

“Aini-Emmenya?” her mother asks as she eats her dish of fried rice. 

“My god-mother, ancestor, and mentor. She first came to me from the dream realm.” I reply. 

“The Elven maiden riding along inside your head?” the Sylph confirms what Lairelindë told me about having been detected.

“It is our goal to free her and bring her back to the mortal coil this weekend.” Ashanna says without reservation. There’s no point in hiding what we’re doing from such a powerful Fae. 

“Is that why you are so smart?” Sala asks eating her eggplant lasagna. 

“Well, I am smart to begin with, but, yes, she helps when I get stumped.” I reply. 

“When she is free from your bond, will she still be able to talk to you?” Miahna asks curiously. 

I’m quiet for a moment as I wait for Lairelindë to answer first, then relay her response. “Only if we bind her to me or to an object that I carry, otherwise we will always be apart.” I’m quiet again. “It is the price needed to pay so that she can help me with my transformation at the end of the year.” I’ve sort of have come to welcome my godmother’s presence. That is a scary thought that she’s going to leave my mind and forever be separated from me.

“Can I try something?” there is something in Miahna’s tone that has Emmenya worried. 

“Sure.” I reply, I don’t think that Sala’s mother would do anything to purposefully hurt me. 

“Give me your hand.” She says with a coy smile. When I do, she says “ _Hrivenahta_ ”

Numbing cold covers my hand and goes up to my wrist, and I frown. “ _Pustanixë_ ” I say to resist the cold. I hadn’t even thought of what needed to be done, I just reacted to protect myself. My hand returns to its normal pink with no lingering pain or discomfort. 

“A simple cold resistance spell would not have reversed my Winter’s Bite. You are strong enough to resist nature’s lure, you are the champion I have been seeking for my daughter.” Miahna smiles. 

“What just happened?” Luna asks before anyone else can. 

“Any simple spell caster can resist or tolerate an element, but the power of my spell would have still caused some pain. Only a strong druid can resist the abilities of a Fae to the degree that Simiathlas just displayed.” Miahna replies. 

“Meddlesome Fae, had you hurt my daughter…” Ashanna threatens. 

“When your daughter told me the berries would last four days, she told me just how powerful she is right now, and if she is this strong now, she will be even stronger come the New Year.” She looks down at Sala. “You followed your instincts and were drawn to your protector, I am proud of you.” 

“I didn’t think I was being drawn to my protector, there was just something about Simia that felt safe.” She looks up at her mother, confused. 

Ashanna is still looking upset. “Now, now, my Drow friend, you and I both know that Simiathlas would have been able to heal herself regardless, you have seen that in her aura.” 

Ashanna’s expression softens. “Yes, I have. And with her ancestor’s spell book in her mind, she can heal herself of many things.” 

“Had I warned any of you what I was about to do, you would have been able to prepare a stronger spell, I needed to judge our druid protege’s reflexes, to make sure she can take things thrown at her regardless of her readiness.” Miahna explains. She looks down at her daughter. “I took a chance at bringing you here, away from the court, to a small place, hoping nothing dangerous could lurk here. But you were still vulnerable, my dear.” 

“But you said my charm…” Sala starts. 

“The charm is your illusionary screen, so that people see a simple platinum-haired girl, I put an enchantment to warn you if there was danger near, but it can’t protect you from harm, I’m sorry if I stretched the truth on that.” Her mother says calmly. 

“But Simia saw right through the illusion. She saw me for the Fae I am the moment she saw me.” Sala says in a worried tone. 

“I told you at lunch yesterday, Simia can see through the veil. Illusions don’t work on her.” Luna frowns. 

“Really?” Miahna looks at me curiously. “That is not a druid ability…” 

“We don’t know where it comes from.” Ashanna responds. “Even before her abilities awoken, she’s always seen through illusions. It’s as if she has a natural resistance.”

“Too bad that natural resistance doesn’t include charm-like abilities.” I grumble. Luna smirks, she knows what I’m implying. 

“That would make life with you two more tolerable, yes.” Ashanna frowns, leaving her daughter to pout in response. 

Sala catches on about Luna’s constant flirtations and scowls at my sister. 

“You two are going to have to learn to get along if I end up dating Sala.” I retort, leaving Sala to beam brightly, and Luna takes a deep breath. She stops herself from reacting further by distracting herself with her drink. 

_Why me? I sigh. I’ve never even dated, and yet, here I am trying to mediate two jealous girls who are both seeking my affection._

“You could always just have them both as a girlfriend.” Lairelindë suggests I merely shake my head and wordlessly tell her it would be a horrible idea to date my sister.

“What’s wrong, nettinya?” Luna asks, feeling my emotions shift. 

“Arguing with my godmother’s suggestion…” I reply. Lairelindë goads me to at least try it. My eyes widen. “No!” I say out loud this time. “Sorry, you really don’t want to hear her part of the debate.” I sigh. 

Ashanna giggles. “It’s almost comedic the way you two bicker.”


End file.
